Reviews

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay lets us break free from the usual WWII historical fiction fascination by highlighting a different era instead: 1960s Germany, behind the Berlin Wall. It's engaging and immersive, with fleshed out characters and an underlying theme of personal sacrifices made for the sake of familial love.

Written with a dual timeline, The Berlin Letters centers around the story of Monika, a young German woman married to Haris, a news reporter who is a supporter of the Party in East Berlin. In 1961, Monika finds to her shock that the Berlin Wall is now being policed, and that she can no longer cross it to visit her family in West Berlin. Horrified and worried for what's to come, she throws her young daughter Luisa over the wall and into the arms of her waiting parents. The story of Monika's life in the days to follow is contrasted with that of Luisa in the 1980s, growing up in America, where her grandparents moved. Following the death of her grandfather, Luisa, now an agent in the CIA, discovers papers in her grandfather's belongings that suggest her past is more than what she's been told.

For readers who like slow burn, character-driven novels with a good amount of espionage, The Berlin Letters will be a great choice. It's also a great option for those who like historical fiction but need a break from the typical WWII novels. The audiobook production is done well and adds to the experience.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Katherine Reay for providing an advance copy for an honest review.

amy_alwaysreading's review

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3.5

Thank you @uplitreads and @harpermusebooks for the #gifted copy of this book.

1969: A baby tossed over the barbed wire that would become the Berlin Wall. A young life thrust from the torment of oppression into the open arms of freedom.

Harrowing. Sacrificial.

Twenty years later, that now grown adult and CIA agent seeks to free her father from the despair of a Stasi prison.

Reay’s newest Cold War spy thriller proves a worthy education for readers. This was an immersive history lesson, rife with tension and laden with details of the political turmoil and unrest.

Both the 1969 and 1989 storylines unfolded at a quick pace and held my attention, though I found the 1969 timeline much more engaging and richly drawn. Oftentimes, I found the 1989 storyline moving at a brisker (and easier) pace than would have been realistic.

Even so, the accessibility of the storyline allowed Reay’s meticulous research to shine.

The history was exceptionally executed, fully encapsulating the essence of the Berlin Wall experience, from its rise to its fall.

cballar5's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction. I’ve read books about many different eras, but I can say I have never read one about the Cold War set in Berlin.

I remember learning very little about the Cold War in school, so it was a definite refresher on how everything went down. The author walks you through the years until the wall comes down (and even a later excerpt, which I truthfully found entirely too cheesy). The plot was great as it showed an average life of a Berliner in this time, not a higher up or exceptionally poor person.

The characters were written well, with great development throughout the book. Without giving too much away, it’s wonderful to see a character with a redemption arc. The author does a fantastic job of appealing to readers’ empathy, which creates great characters!

The writing was easy to read (listen to in my case, so I have not the slightest idea how to spell names) and you really did get a feel of what it was like to live there. She’s descriptive, which gives a more immersive experience.

As a whole, I really enjoyed listening to this book. The accents of the narrators were easy to understand, but I don’t understand why they use an English accent for American English natives. This is not the first time I’ve seen this in a book, but it doesn’t bother me enough to make or break it.

Overall I give it 4 ⭐️. Parts of the book were a bit too cheesy for me, but I’ve been reading darker stuff lately and maybe it’s just the contrast. The ending is extra 🧀 though, too saccharine for my tastes.

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