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ashleymarie53's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gregrace's review
2.0
rating: 2.5
Twins Jutta and Karin wake up on 13th August 1961 and find themselves on different sides of a divided Berlin. A fortuitous event has kept Karin in the East and now that a barrier has been erected to physically split the city in two, the sisters do not know when and how they will be reunited.
I had great expectations for this book but it actually proved hard for me to be really enthusiastic about the story.
The style felt hasty and superficial and made it difficult for me to connect with the characters and the events. Curiosity to see how the plot was going to develop, however, pushed me to slowly read on. Once I reached 60% of the volume, the story became more enthralling and I was finally able to empathise with the characters' fears and feelings of being under constant scrutiny and observation.
Although not the read I was hoping for, the second part of the book managed to transport me into a part of history I knew of mainly from visiting Berlin in person. I still do not comprehend how the Wall managed to stay in place for more than two decades, separating families and ending lives the way it did. When I visited Berlin, I was amazed by the city's resilience and how it managed to be reborn from its painful past, using it to educate people. Today, however, I still feel discouraged realising that what it is considered the past for one country, is also the current reality for many others.
Twins Jutta and Karin wake up on 13th August 1961 and find themselves on different sides of a divided Berlin. A fortuitous event has kept Karin in the East and now that a barrier has been erected to physically split the city in two, the sisters do not know when and how they will be reunited.
I had great expectations for this book but it actually proved hard for me to be really enthusiastic about the story.
The style felt hasty and superficial and made it difficult for me to connect with the characters and the events. Curiosity to see how the plot was going to develop, however, pushed me to slowly read on. Once I reached 60% of the volume, the story became more enthralling and I was finally able to empathise with the characters' fears and feelings of being under constant scrutiny and observation.
Although not the read I was hoping for, the second part of the book managed to transport me into a part of history I knew of mainly from visiting Berlin in person. I still do not comprehend how the Wall managed to stay in place for more than two decades, separating families and ending lives the way it did. When I visited Berlin, I was amazed by the city's resilience and how it managed to be reborn from its painful past, using it to educate people. Today, however, I still feel discouraged realising that what it is considered the past for one country, is also the current reality for many others.
sarahl0726's review against another edition
3.0
I was honestly a little disappointed by this book. I spent some time in Berlin and visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum.
I found this story hard to believe at times. It felt that the actual story took forever to get going and it didn’t have that can’t put it down feeling until the bitter end.
I found this story hard to believe at times. It felt that the actual story took forever to get going and it didn’t have that can’t put it down feeling until the bitter end.
rozanne_visagie's review against another edition
4.0
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley and Avon Books in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl Behind The Wall is the newest novel from the internationally bestselling WWII historical fiction author, Mandy Robotham. Mandy Robotham is known for titles such as [b:The German Midwife|43011720|The German Midwife|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543558692l/43011720._SY75_.jpg|65821768] or also known as A Woman of War, [b:The Secret Messenger|52762957|The Secret Messenger|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570442407l/52762957._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70900370] (which is my favourite) and [b:The Berlin Girl|53174741|The Berlin Girl|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695202l/53174741._SY75_.jpg|80038826]. The Girl Behind The Wall is different from Mandy's other books since it takes place during the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was erected overnight.
No one expected a wall, no one expected a divide, but one morning everything changed. On the morning of 13th August 1961 Berlin was divided by barbed wire soon transforming into a Wall, creating a divide between East and West Berlin, forever changing the lives of twins Jutta and Karin Voight. Jutta woke on the West side in her bedroom and Karin woke on the East in a hospital bed. Being hastily admitted to the hospital for a medical procedure, Karin was unaware of the Wall and had no idea that she won't be able to go back home.
As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.
With numerous applications denied to go to the East, Jutta is forced to accept that she will never see Karin again. With the help of her nephew Hugo, who works as a junior reporter, she is able to get a message across the Wall to Karin at the hospital, but soon the situation escalates and all communication between the East and West is cut, leaving the twins in distress. Realising the Wall is there to stay, Karin is forced to create a life for herself in the East, with the help of Dr. Simms. Abandoning her dreams of fashion, she ends up working in the Charité hospital and meets Otto Kruger, whom she falls in love with. If she had a choice to go back to the West, to Jutta and her family, would she go?
Meanwhile, in the West Jutta is trying her best to find a way to bring Karin back, focusing on the thread between them, but slowly losing hope as there is no way of knowing if Karin is safe, if she is alive. One day Jutta stumbles upon access to the East side. If she gets caught crossing to the East, the consequences will be terrible, but Jutta knows it's worth the risk if there is a possibility to find Karin and bring her back. While contemplating on how to get Karin back to the West, Jutta meets Danny Strachan and falls in love. Love complicates everything and Jutta and Karin tries to find a way to make everything work.
The pace of the story felt a bit slow but I still enjoyed the story. I liked both sisters and I found the effects the Berlin Wall had on the East and West sides interesting. I'm not familiar with the Berlin Wall, so this book encouraged me to do some research. It's heartbreaking that families were subjected to such a level of divide and having no control over it. Jutta and Karin, even though they're fictional, represent countless families who had to endure separation. Mandy was able to capture the fear and uncertainty families experienced on both sides of the Wall. The book is divided into four parts, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1989. I enjoyed the short chapters and the ending brought loose ties together, the reader isn't left with any unanswered questions.
Mandy Robotham is an amazing writer and once again she was able to take a historical moment and make it come to life. If you love historical fiction, I recommend that you read this book.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2021/04/30/the-girl-behind-the-wall-by-mandy-robotham-book-review/
The Girl Behind The Wall is the newest novel from the internationally bestselling WWII historical fiction author, Mandy Robotham. Mandy Robotham is known for titles such as [b:The German Midwife|43011720|The German Midwife|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543558692l/43011720._SY75_.jpg|65821768] or also known as A Woman of War, [b:The Secret Messenger|52762957|The Secret Messenger|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570442407l/52762957._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70900370] (which is my favourite) and [b:The Berlin Girl|53174741|The Berlin Girl|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695202l/53174741._SY75_.jpg|80038826]. The Girl Behind The Wall is different from Mandy's other books since it takes place during the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was erected overnight.
No one expected a wall, no one expected a divide, but one morning everything changed. On the morning of 13th August 1961 Berlin was divided by barbed wire soon transforming into a Wall, creating a divide between East and West Berlin, forever changing the lives of twins Jutta and Karin Voight. Jutta woke on the West side in her bedroom and Karin woke on the East in a hospital bed. Being hastily admitted to the hospital for a medical procedure, Karin was unaware of the Wall and had no idea that she won't be able to go back home.
As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.
With numerous applications denied to go to the East, Jutta is forced to accept that she will never see Karin again. With the help of her nephew Hugo, who works as a junior reporter, she is able to get a message across the Wall to Karin at the hospital, but soon the situation escalates and all communication between the East and West is cut, leaving the twins in distress. Realising the Wall is there to stay, Karin is forced to create a life for herself in the East, with the help of Dr. Simms. Abandoning her dreams of fashion, she ends up working in the Charité hospital and meets Otto Kruger, whom she falls in love with. If she had a choice to go back to the West, to Jutta and her family, would she go?
Meanwhile, in the West Jutta is trying her best to find a way to bring Karin back, focusing on the thread between them, but slowly losing hope as there is no way of knowing if Karin is safe, if she is alive. One day Jutta stumbles upon access to the East side. If she gets caught crossing to the East, the consequences will be terrible, but Jutta knows it's worth the risk if there is a possibility to find Karin and bring her back. While contemplating on how to get Karin back to the West, Jutta meets Danny Strachan and falls in love. Love complicates everything and Jutta and Karin tries to find a way to make everything work.
The pace of the story felt a bit slow but I still enjoyed the story. I liked both sisters and I found the effects the Berlin Wall had on the East and West sides interesting. I'm not familiar with the Berlin Wall, so this book encouraged me to do some research. It's heartbreaking that families were subjected to such a level of divide and having no control over it. Jutta and Karin, even though they're fictional, represent countless families who had to endure separation. Mandy was able to capture the fear and uncertainty families experienced on both sides of the Wall. The book is divided into four parts, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1989. I enjoyed the short chapters and the ending brought loose ties together, the reader isn't left with any unanswered questions.
Mandy Robotham is an amazing writer and once again she was able to take a historical moment and make it come to life. If you love historical fiction, I recommend that you read this book.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2021/04/30/the-girl-behind-the-wall-by-mandy-robotham-book-review/
rozanne_visagie's review
4.0
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley and Avon Books in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl Behind The Wall is the newest novel from the internationally bestselling WWII historical fiction author, Mandy Robotham. Mandy Robotham is known for titles such as The German Midwife or also known as A Woman of War, The Secret Messenger (which is my favourite) and The Berlin Girl. The Girl Behind The Wall is different from Mandy's other books since it takes place during the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was erected overnight.
No one expected a wall, no one expected a divide, but one morning everything changed. On the morning of 13th August 1961, Berlin was divided by barbed wire soon transforming into a Wall, creating a divide between East and West Berlin, forever changing the lives of twins Jutta and Karin Voight. Jutta woke on the West side in her bedroom and Karin woke on the East in a hospital bed. Being hastily admitted to the hospital for a medical procedure, Karin was unaware of the Wall and had no idea that she won't be able to go back home.
As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.
With numerous applications denied to go to the East, Jutta is forced to accept that she will never see Karin again. With the help of her nephew Hugo, who works as a junior reporter, she is able to get a message across the Wall to Karin at the hospital, but soon the situation escalates and all communication between the East and West is cut, leaving the twins in distress. Realising the Wall is there to stay, Karin is forced to create a life for herself in the East, with the help of Dr. Simms. Abandoning her dreams of fashion, she ends up working in the Charité hospital and meets Otto Kruger, whom she falls in love with. If she had a choice to go back to the West, to Jutta and her family, would she go?
Meanwhile, in the West Jutta is trying her best to find a way to bring Karin back, focusing on the thread between them, but slowly losing hope as there is no way of knowing if Karin is safe, if she is alive. One day Jutta stumbles upon access to the East side. If she gets caught crossing to the East, the consequences will be terrible, but Jutta knows it's worth the risk if there is a possibility to find Karin and bring her back. While contemplating on how to get Karin back to the West, Jutta meets Danny Strachan and falls in love. Love complicates everything and Jutta and Karin tries to find a way to make everything work.
The pace of the story felt a bit slow but I still enjoyed the story. I liked both sisters and I found the effects the Berlin Wall had on the East and West sides interesting. I'm not familiar with the Berlin Wall, so this book encouraged me to do some research. It's heartbreaking that families were subjected to such a level of divide and having no control over it. Jutta and Karin, even though they're fictional, represent countless families who had to endure separation. Mandy was able to capture the fear and uncertainty families experienced on both sides of the Wall. The book is divided into four parts, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1989. I enjoyed the short chapters and the ending brought loose ties together, the reader isn't left with any unanswered questions.
Mandy Robotham is an amazing writer and once again she was able to take a historical moment and make it come to life. If you love historical fiction, I recommend that you read this book.
The Girl Behind The Wall is the newest novel from the internationally bestselling WWII historical fiction author, Mandy Robotham. Mandy Robotham is known for titles such as The German Midwife or also known as A Woman of War, The Secret Messenger (which is my favourite) and The Berlin Girl. The Girl Behind The Wall is different from Mandy's other books since it takes place during the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was erected overnight.
No one expected a wall, no one expected a divide, but one morning everything changed. On the morning of 13th August 1961, Berlin was divided by barbed wire soon transforming into a Wall, creating a divide between East and West Berlin, forever changing the lives of twins Jutta and Karin Voight. Jutta woke on the West side in her bedroom and Karin woke on the East in a hospital bed. Being hastily admitted to the hospital for a medical procedure, Karin was unaware of the Wall and had no idea that she won't be able to go back home.
As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.
With numerous applications denied to go to the East, Jutta is forced to accept that she will never see Karin again. With the help of her nephew Hugo, who works as a junior reporter, she is able to get a message across the Wall to Karin at the hospital, but soon the situation escalates and all communication between the East and West is cut, leaving the twins in distress. Realising the Wall is there to stay, Karin is forced to create a life for herself in the East, with the help of Dr. Simms. Abandoning her dreams of fashion, she ends up working in the Charité hospital and meets Otto Kruger, whom she falls in love with. If she had a choice to go back to the West, to Jutta and her family, would she go?
Meanwhile, in the West Jutta is trying her best to find a way to bring Karin back, focusing on the thread between them, but slowly losing hope as there is no way of knowing if Karin is safe, if she is alive. One day Jutta stumbles upon access to the East side. If she gets caught crossing to the East, the consequences will be terrible, but Jutta knows it's worth the risk if there is a possibility to find Karin and bring her back. While contemplating on how to get Karin back to the West, Jutta meets Danny Strachan and falls in love. Love complicates everything and Jutta and Karin tries to find a way to make everything work.
The pace of the story felt a bit slow but I still enjoyed the story. I liked both sisters and I found the effects the Berlin Wall had on the East and West sides interesting. I'm not familiar with the Berlin Wall, so this book encouraged me to do some research. It's heartbreaking that families were subjected to such a level of divide and having no control over it. Jutta and Karin, even though they're fictional, represent countless families who had to endure separation. Mandy was able to capture the fear and uncertainty families experienced on both sides of the Wall. The book is divided into four parts, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1989. I enjoyed the short chapters and the ending brought loose ties together, the reader isn't left with any unanswered questions.
Mandy Robotham is an amazing writer and once again she was able to take a historical moment and make it come to life. If you love historical fiction, I recommend that you read this book.
amy_janssen's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
scoughlan's review against another edition
4.0
I was motivated to read this book after spending a weekend in Berlin. Seeing remnants of the wall and reading stories of the atrocities that took place behind it was one thing, but I wanted to feel what it was like to live in a city where walls sprouted up, overnight, around me, separating me from people and places I had known all my life. I grew up taking freedom for granted, not knowing the ravages of war and oppression. This book took me back to 1961 Berlin to give me a glimpse into what life was like during both.
diannel_04's review against another edition
On the day the Berlin Wall goes up identical sisters Jutta and Karin are stuck on opposite sides. I know this happened to many families so it was believable. I was really enjoying the book and then it happened. Jutta finds a way through the wall and arrives at her sister's last known location, a hospital. She asks about Karinand no one seems to notice she looks exactly like her. They get together and Karin takes her to a Cafe where she is obviously a regular and, again, no one notices they are identical. By the time this happens the wall has been up for over a year and this is a communist world where people notice everything so, donnez moi a break. I understand Jutta makes numerous trip back and forth but no one ever gets suspicious because, you know, her clothes didn't look western or anything. I had to DNF.
elleceeveee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
irene_g08's review against another edition
4.0
This is a dual-POV book and it was a bit boring at first. Once the plot picks up it is a rollercoaster of a story based on something that happened. Plot twists are unexpected, but some are expected.