“It’s humanity at our most basic level. You go along until they come for you. Then you find out what you’re made of.”

Monica Voekler EAST BERLIN, GERMANY Sunday, August 13, 1961:
We are immediately dropped into Berlin the day the East/West border is closed; the barbed wire was unfurled and the guns came out and a relatively peaceful existence was changed in an instant

Luisa Voekler ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Friday, November 3, 1989
A young CIA cryptographer recognizes a mysterious symbol from her childhood, sending her on a dangerous ride to get answers and save loved ones.

The timelines alternate and eventually converge to reveal a story of family, forgiveness and survival. This fictional account of a volatile period in history has actual events baked into each and every chapter and left me with an even deeper curiosity about untold stories from the Cold War and beyond.

I completely devoured this new novel by Ms. Reay, perhaps her finest, and especially found the punk connection of the late nineties compelling. This book would pair perfectly with the podcast “Wind of Change.” In a series of episodes, Patrick Radden Keefe details a conspiracy theory about a heavy metal band, the soundtrack of a revolution and the possible connection to the CIA!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this one . I loved the details of the Vold War era and what it was like to live then along with the CIA aspects and the code breaking aspects were fascinating.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

An entertaining historical novel with dual storylines set during the Cold War. In 1989, a young CIA analyst discovers a secret cache of letters that leads her to the truth of what happened to her family in 1960s Berlin. Very compelling story - I found the descriptions of code breaking fascinating. At times, the character did make some very silly choices that definitely detracted from the story. All in all, an enjoyable read. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this one!

Keeping secrets is a family tradition

At 31, Luisa Voekler works in an off-campus division of the CIA using her codebreaking skills on files that are decades old, rather than as the covert operative she had hoped to be. She lives with the newly-widowed grandmother (Oma) who raised her, which hasn’t done much for her social or. romantic life. When a colleague comes to her for assistance. In deciphering documents from what she calls her “Berlin Letters” file, Luisa sees a small mark….an infinity symbol….that seems all too familiar. Years earlier, she had seen just such a symbol on a letter that her. Grandfather (Opa) was reading. What could her grandfather, the most honest man she’s ever known, have to do with the letters of a spy from East Germany? Soon all that she has been told about her parents, her childhood, and more come into question. Her parents, she had been told, had died in a car accident back in East Germany, and her grandparents brought their other daughter, her Aunt Alice, and Luisa to the US for a better future. But her father, a journalist, is actually still alive and may be imprisoned behind the Iron Curtain. Calling on her skills as a crypto analyst as well as skills she was taught years ago but never used in clandestine operations, Luisa must discover what is the truth about her family and find a way if she can to save the father she hasn’t seen since she was a young child.
As she did in a previous novel, A. Shadow in Moscow, author Katherine Reay delves into the world of. Cold War espionage from an interesting perspective. What leads an ordinary person to enter the world of spies, especially to spy against their own country? And what effects does this have on that person and on those around them? Luisa, who as a girl was dubbed “a girl of infinite possibilities” by her Opa, was raised by people who had not only escaped from East Germany just before the Wall would have prevented such an act, but also had lived through the actions the Soviet military took in the final months of WWII as they marched into Germany, which in turn has impacted her own development. Told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Luisa in 1989, when freedom is percolating in Eastern Europe, and that of her father Haris starting in 1961 and continuing to the present, The Berlin Letters is both an engrossing tale of espionage and one of family, both of which are impacted by secrets, courageous acts, and betrayals. I found the book hard to put down once I picked it up, and enjoyed the lore of codebreaking as well as a glimpse into what went on in East Germany both when the Wall went up and in the time leading up to its coming down. Readers of Ms Reay’s earlier works will enjoy this novel, as will fans of authors like Paul Vidich, Joseph Kanon and Alma Katsu. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me access to an early copy of The Berlin Letters….I look forward with great anticipation to the next book by Katherine Reay.

The Berlin Letters was one of those books that only a few chapters in I just knew it was going to be good to the end and it did not disappoint. I think this is Katherine Reay’s best novel yet. I enjoy historical fiction and love that this one was set against a memorable event in my lifetime although that does start to make me feel old if I think about it. This is a great family story told with bookends of the beginning and end of the Berlin wall. Other real-life events are woven in and it makes me want to go read more about that time period. Thanks to Harper Muse for an early copy to read through NetGalley, I am leaving this review voluntarily as my honest opinion because I love books and authors. This book will release on March 5, 2024.

This was a thrilling read that simply wouldn’t let me put it down! Riveting on so many layers - intense family dynamics, unique moment in history, thrilling CIA details . Luisa is such a likeable character. Almost an orphan, almost a success. I love the closeness she shared with her Opa/grandfather, balanced against the pain when she realized he hadn’t been totally honest with her. And yet, had she been candid with her family about her career? The way Opa prepared Luisa for both her job and the ultimate revelations about her family was incredible. I finished this book amazed at the courage and cleverness of these three generations . Reay writes with such precision that every emotion, every scene, comes alive. I was grateful to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley, and was not required to post a review.

Amazing! Captivating! I loved this book. The characters were people I could feel for and learn from. I learned so much about a time from my childhood that I don’t remember.
Wow!

I have read Katherine Reay's earlier works and was excited to see that she had another one about to be published. This tale follows Luisa, a woman who was born in East Berlin, passed over the wall to West Berlin and who journeys to America with her grandparents to live.

At the start of the novel, Luisa is working as a code breaker for the CIA. She tried for active agent but was released during training. Luisa is working on a set of letters from post WWII and starts discovering information about her own life that she had not known. The book alternates between the present day and Luisa to the 1960s-1980s and Luisa's father, Haris. It is a long journey for Luisa but one that helps her to decipher who she is and reconnects her with family she didn't know she had.

I enjoyed this book and the glimpse of life in East Berlin as well as Cold War America. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC and recommended it highly.

Katharine Reay has done it again! I love historical fiction and this book was wonderful!The depth and emotion was gripping and I connected deeply with the characters! Highly recommend! I love the mystery of the book with the code breakers and the CIA! I learned so much about this time period and appreciate all of the research that went into this book.

This was a very interesting story. Luisa has been raised by her grandparents after the Berlin Wall went up. She now works for the CIA as a code breaker. She has been groomed since she was a kid to figure out coded notes from her Opa. While at work she notices the codes letters her co-worker is working on are the same as the ones she found hidden in her old room. She started decoding the letters and found out they were from her father in East Germany. She had been told her parents were both dead. She figures out the whole story and decides to help her father. There is a lot of suspense in the story. There is also a lot of history about the Wall and what went on in the years following. I don't want to go into too much detail, but it is a good story that's moves across the present and the past with Luisa's father's letters. Having all the backstory really helped ratchet up the suspense towards the final chapters. Good book and worth reading. I will be looking for other books from this author.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

3.5 rounded down

I really wanted to love this one. The story premise - a family divided by the Berlin Wall, really interested me! And while it was a good story, it didn’t blow me away. The main character had several moments that made me frustrated and wonder how she ever got a job working for the CIA. Overall, I enjoyed it but I don’t think it will be one that will stick in my mind for a long time.

This was a very intriguing story that I learned a lot from. The code aspect was really interesting. I learned a lot about this true history. There were some parts in the middle that slowed the pace, but overall a great read.

I absolutely adored Katherine Reay's newest novel, The Berlin Letters! This book was gripping, engaging, and so well written. Told in dual timelines, this is the story of a father and a daughter, and a family as a whole, whose lives are transformed by the Cold War. The author must have spent a ridiculous amount of time researching this novel - the level of details given to life in East Germany in the 1960s-1980s, as well as life in the States in 1989. it was heartbreaking reading about how families were torn apart thanks to the Berlin Wall...and with the wall coming down during my lifetime (I was 4!), it is amazing how much things have changed. I really liked Luisa as a character - she was so driven, so committed to her family, so smart. What a strong woman and you couldn't help but root for her. My only complaint (even though I LOVED this book) was that everything tied up so nicely and her career path just happened to put her in a place where she could engage in a dramatic conclusion. But what is a novel without some coincidences. :)

Highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

1989 and the Berlin Wall-we saw it fall on television but what was going on behind the scenes ? Spies and Secrets and Intrigue abound!
This story tells you about one family living in Berlin in 1961 and what happens to them when the wall goes up and their family is separated for decades. The protagonist is Luisa, who is now working for the CIA in the 1980s, but was thrown over the barbed wire fencing by her mother to her grandparents to keep her safe in 1961. Luisa finds a secret cache of letters between her father, who stayed in East Berlin, to her grandfather, who lived with the family in Washington, DC. Being trained her who life to solve puzzles and ciphers by her grandfather, she figures out the secret messages that were sent from her father. Her grandfather passed those secrets behind the Wall to a newspaper reporter in DC. The intrigue continues with a clandestine trip to East Berlin as Luisa desperately tries to find and save her father.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story as it unraveled the secrets of that tumultuous time in Berlin's history. Luisa was portrayed as a brave, bright young woman who had to deal with family secrets and I was rooting for her success. This book gives you some context and personal connection to the Berlin Wall and the history surrounding it. If you are looking for more recent historical fiction, I recommend this one!
Thank you Harper Muse and Net Galley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book. Growing up during the Cold War, so much of the content of this story unfolded in front of my eyes but this book gave me a whole new perspective. It was clearly well researched and just so well executed.

A riveting spy novel set during the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There is much to glean from the pages of this fascinating book. The events took place during my teen and adult years, so I remember some of it but the story shed light on the circumstances behind what happened.
It is told through the eyes of Codebreaker, Luisa Voekler and her father Haris who is caught in East Germany. You can feel the tension when Haris tries to be careful as he navigates life behind the Iron Curtain. Who can he trust? What does he do when his political views change?
Luisa has assumed her father died many years ago but is shocked to discover letters written by him to her recently deceased grandfather. She has many things to sort out and relationships to question. Her journey takes her to East Berlin and unlikely allies.
The research was well done. It was interesting to find the origins of the Punk lifestyle was a protest movement against lies and oppression in East Germany.
An absorbing, intriguing, page turner. I loved learning more about the times and culture of the Cold War.
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Harper Muse via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

Thank you AustenprosePR and HarperMuse for my advance copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

MY REVIEW:
Luisa Voekler has always loved solving puzzles, and her dream was to one day become a field agent at the CIA. But ever since she was yanked from training for no discernable reason and assigned a desk job in budgeting, she has felt like a failure. Even being moved to a covert code-breaking team wasn't enough to make her feel worthy. But when, in 1989, she stumbles on a secret cache of letters written by the father she thought died when she was little, she starts to unravel a twisted skein of secrets and lies that takes her on her first international trip, and to the dangerous heart of East Berlin.

This dual-point-of-view historical spy thriller was immediately gripping and tragic. From the moment that Luisa is handed to her grandparents to the final heart-stopping finale, I was hooked. Seeing the entire length of the Cold War both from the experience of a journalist within the German Democratic Republic and then from the epiphanies of his daughter, a 1980's CIA codebreaker gave the story a broad perspective. I learned so much about the achievements of women working on deciphering Nazi and then Soviet codes (Verona I & 2), the groundbreaking and dissent of East German punk music, and the volatility of East Berlin throughout the 20th Century. The narrative had clear imagery, a sense of place, and vivid (often conflicting) emotions, including loss and hope. I can't help thinking that this would be a fantastic movie!

Triggers: child separation, the horrors that were World War II and the repression in East Germany (death, torture, kidnapping, rape, manipulation, etc.)

Book description: “Near the end of the Cold War, a CIA code-breaker discovers a symbol she recognizes from her childhood, which launches her across the world to the heart of Berlin just before the wall comes tumbling down.”

This is my first read by Katherine Reay, and my first historical fiction about the Berlin wall. I knew nothing about the Berlin Wall other than that famous quote from President Reagan, and I found it fascinating and very sad. I love how she put the story together and will look for more books by Reay.

The story alternates between Luisa, a CIA Cryptographer, and Harris, her German father living in East Berlin. Luisa grew up in the United States with her grandparents and was told that her parents had died in Germany when she was a baby. However, while working she finds letters that seem familiar to her, which leads her to hunt for more information. As she reads through the letters she unravels the truth about her family.

The rescue at the end seemed a little unrealistic, but I really enjoyed this book and finished it quickly!

My thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for this ARC.
#TheBerlinLetters #NetGalley

Another winning piece of historical fiction from Katherine Reay! Set during the cold war we meet Luisa Voekler who was raised by grandparents who immigrated from Germany and now works for the CIA. In the 1960s, we meet Luisa’s father Haris, living in East Germany behind the Berlin Wall. The tension and fear in Haris’s everyday life was palpable. I learned so much about that time period through Haris.

I can remember President Reagan’s “Mr Gorbachev, bring down the Wall” speech but I knew very little about what life was actually like in East Berlin. I loved seeing references to the attempted Reagan assassination and learned how it impacted Soviet aggression toward uprisings in Poland, Czechoslovakia and other countries behind the Iron Curtain.

Highly recommend this to historical fiction readers and anyone who loves world history.

I'm loving all of these Cold War historical fiction, especially the end of the Cold War, so I was immediately drawn to the synopsis of The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay.

In November 1989, Luisa, a CIA codebreaker discovers a symbol she recognizes from her childhood. She goes home and finds a series of coded letters spanning decades between her grandfather and a father in East Berlin she thought died when she was a baby. She heads to Berlin to try to help her father escape.

I loved the beginning of the book about life in Berlin when the border went up surrounding West Berlin in 1961 with Monika and the split-second decision she made to hand her daughter to her parents on the American side. This decision would change her family and lead to her parents moving to the US with her daughter Lusia as a baby. I also loved seeing Luisa decode the letters and learn more about her father and grandfather through their letters. Plus all the info about codebreaking I found fascinating.

I didn't love the Luisa in Berlin part as much though, but I did love that part was centered around November 9, 1989 the day the Berlin Wall fell.

I still loved this book and I highly recommend it