This was an absolute masterpiece of a novel!!! So we'll written and researched. I loved the split perspective of Luisa and Harris through every chapter. The story of love and forgiveness was powerful in this novel told in the years leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall. An excellent historical fiction novel that I would highly recommend!!!!

Although Katherine Reay’s “The Berlin Letters” shares many plot features of her book “A Shadow in Moscow:” the death of the protagonist’s mother, the wish to bring her father to America, life under a totalitarian regime, this book, which takes place in both Arlington, Virginia and East Berlin, Germany during the 1980s, is about a young woman’s quest to clear her father’s name and by doing so, clear her own.

Luisa Voekler’s father, Haris, lives behind the Iron Curtain. Luisa was taken to America as a three-year old by her maternal grandparents, Walther and Gertrude. The backstory of Haris’s family is not revealed until the second half of the book. This information is essential to understand both his character and motivations.

Reay explains how people can react to situations until they’re forced to stop: a bone is broken, a major illness is contracted, or like Haris, a person is jailed.

“I’ve rested in this cell for the past four months berating and consoling myself. The berating is justified – I was an idiot.”

As Luisa steps behind the Iron Curtain to rescue her father from a Stasi prison, she realizes she must “forgive and move forward.”

The nightmare quality of Luisa’s ordeal as she searches for her father against the eventful tearing down of the Berlin Wall is as chilling as a Hitchcock thriller and as engrossing as an Anais Nin tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this ARC.

Katherine Reay is quickly becoming one of my top favorite historical fiction writers. Her stories are original and compelling and descriptive, I can easily imagine myself right next to the main characters as they engage in espionage and intrigue. The relationships between the characters are deep and meaningful, as is this fascinating story of a talented woman who finds a cache of letters that appear to be from her father years ago when the Berlin Wall was built. This was one of the most thrilling, deeply affecting stories I have read in a long time, and I will not soon forget it. I will be recommending this book to everyone I meet - especially those who love a good historical fiction novel. They won't be able to put it down! Ten stars!!!

Great Author, Great Story, Loved it more than her others. A great book for a lazy weekend afternoon for an escape. Thanks

Meticulously researched, fascinating and absolutely unputdownable. I loved everything about this book!

Luisa grew up thinking that both her parents had died in a car accident when she was three. Until one day she comes across a piece of information that makes her question everything she knows about her family. Did her beloved Opa keep secrets from her? Is her father alive?

This book will keep you on your toes from the beginning until the very last page. Told in dual timeline from the perspective of Luisa and her father Haris, it’s a gripping Cold War adventure novel but also a poignant story of a family divided by the Berlin Wall. It’s about solving riddles and defying the system but also about understanding, acceptance and perseverance.

Luisa and Haris were both wonderful characters and a delight to read. The way the family history was interwoven in the history of Berlin and Cold War in general was exquisite. There were plenty of historical references and details, all relevant to the story and enriching it in the best way possible. The little romance subplot was just a cherry on top.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much NetGalley and Harper Muse, it was a treat!