A review by katkinney
My Real Name Is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih
5.0
One of the first sentences that grabbed me in this one was the one that talked about geography and where exactly Hana’s story is set. If you’re from a large or fairly isolated country, it may be easy to overlook how fluid boundaries and borders are historically. And when Hana remarks that the place she lives has been called Austria, Poland, and the date the story starts is part of Ukraine, it really hits home. And also sets the stage for the cultural cruelty described—the Russian government trying to stamp out traces of Polish language and culture, Stalin being anti-religion, the widespread discrimination against Jews, etc.
I loved the descriptions in this, of the war gradually worsening, of Hana’s world growing smaller and more bleak, of the measures they had to take to hide and survive. This tale is a bit different from some of the other WW2 stories you often read, and I found the setting interesting.
I loved the descriptions in this, of the war gradually worsening, of Hana’s world growing smaller and more bleak, of the measures they had to take to hide and survive. This tale is a bit different from some of the other WW2 stories you often read, and I found the setting interesting.