story is about a Polish girl and her family during the German occupation of their country in World War II. Hanna’s life is torn apart when the Nazi’s invade. Her father’s store is closed and the family are forced out of their comfortable home to hide on a farm, then to live in tiny, cold rooms. Her brother must leave his violin behind, and Hanna’s gymnastics are a thing of the past. Starving, sick, terrified and penniless, the family struggles on until, like so many of their friends, they are struck by personal tragedies. However, the book does conclude on a note of hope.