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nerdygnome's review against another edition
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.
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
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
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.
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.
okiecozyreader's review
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Enjoyed the Berlin Letters. I thought it was interesting to back when the wall went up overnight and split a family apart.
In 1989 CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler discovers some of her father’s letters to her grandfather and their secret history. She learns her father is still alive and is not safe.
Alternating with her father’s story, beginning in 1961 before the wall existed. I was born after the wall was built and I found the story before the wall fascinating. I didn’t realize that after the war, people were able to go back and forth between West and East Berlin.
The audiobook was very well done with two narrators.
“… only because I didn’t mind the future they handed us after I met you. The past didn’t hurt so much then. You were brighter than their darkness, but I was a fool.”
Looking forward to discussing with #bookfriendsbookclub. Thank you to libro.fm for providing audiobooks to librarians.
In 1989 CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler discovers some of her father’s letters to her grandfather and their secret history. She learns her father is still alive and is not safe.
Alternating with her father’s story, beginning in 1961 before the wall existed. I was born after the wall was built and I found the story before the wall fascinating. I didn’t realize that after the war, people were able to go back and forth between West and East Berlin.
The audiobook was very well done with two narrators.
“… only because I didn’t mind the future they handed us after I met you. The past didn’t hurt so much then. You were brighter than their darkness, but I was a fool.”
Looking forward to discussing with #bookfriendsbookclub. Thank you to libro.fm for providing audiobooks to librarians.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
debf56's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lauren_popov's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bookedwithmel's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve read very little about the Cold War but I’ve been curious. I never thought about what the CIA was doing during that time. I was very young when the wall came down and barely studied it in school so reading this one was eye opening.
I liked Katherine’s portrayal of Luisa. It’s a great concept to interconnect the CIA with letters from Germany from the Cold War time period. Luisa finds out an awful lot about her family. She’s shocked when she finds letters between her grandfather and father during the whole time she had been living in the US with his grandfather.
The narration was great. I enjoyed the multiple voices for the different characters. It definitely made it easier to connect with each one.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for my ALC of this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for my ALC of this book.
jessies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-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
3.0
Louisa, a CIA codebreaker, immigrated to the US from Germany as a child. Through a series of coincidences, she discovers coded letters from her father to her grandfather. Until that point, she had thought her father was dead, but he is alive in an East German prison.
I enjoyed this book. The cold war is a subject is a newer topic for me. I was vaguely aware of the wall coming down in 1989, but I was 8 and didn't really understand what was happening. The book alternates between Louisa's life in DC and her father's life in East Berlin. The beginning of the book was a little slow, but the pace picks up when Louisa travels to East Germany to free her father from prison.
I enjoyed this book. The cold war is a subject is a newer topic for me. I was vaguely aware of the wall coming down in 1989, but I was 8 and didn't really understand what was happening. The book alternates between Louisa's life in DC and her father's life in East Berlin. The beginning of the book was a little slow, but the pace picks up when Louisa travels to East Germany to free her father from prison.