When I read the
description about Katherine Reay’s new book, The Berlin Letters,
I wanted to read it. So glad I had the
opportunity. It was a great book.
Monica Voekler
loved her husband Haris and enjoyed their life together in East Berlin with
their daughter Luisa. But she did not
share Haris’ appreciation for the GDR government. The day came when the wall went up, guards
would not let people pass through to West Berlin, and razor wire deterred
citizens trying to escape. That day
Monica was desperate and would resort to the unthinkable to ensure her daughter
would be safe. She tossed her beloved
daughter to her father on the other side of the wall. Their lives changed that day, for Monica and
Haris, and for three-year-old Luisa and her Grandparents who later moved to America.
The Berlin
Letters is a wonderful
read. The novel takes place during the
Cold War and spans 28 years, from 1961 to 1989.
It tells the story about a family divided and torn apart by the oppressive
German Democratic Republic and the Berlin Wall.
It is filled with mystery, intrigue, secrets, spies, snitches, encrypted
letters, and code breaking. It tells the
story of people who risked their lives to get the truth out the world with the
hope of change and freedom.
As fascinating as
the intrigue is the story was made even more compelling by the characters and
their relationships. The characters came
across as very real as we learn about their experiences and what they are
thinking and feeling. The characters grew
and changed over the years.
I enjoyed reading historical
fiction and Katherine Reay did a fabulous job making the characters come
to life during the fascinating time of the Cold War. The Berlin Letters is a is
compelling, thoughtful novel, and filled with intrigue.
The Berlin
Letters is the first novel
I have read by Katherine Reay and I am so glad I discovered her work. I was reminded when reading this book, what
an incredible time we lived through when we saw the Berlin Wall come down and
freedom come to those who were oppressed.
I look forward to reading more of her books.
I would like to
thank Publisher Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complementary
copy of The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay. I was under no obligation to give a favorable
review.
