The book covers a very tough period in history and the effects it took on a family, but it does it throughly and with a lot of heart.

The best part of the book is the language — Katherine Reay uses beautiful phrases and words and changes voice effortlessly when telling the story through each character’s point of view.

The story, beautiful language, and thorough research all make for a wonderful read!

4.5 stars rounded up
“Like me, she wants to know what’s true, what’s a story, and who made it up. Like me she’s searching…”

From the publisher: “November 1989 —After finding a secret cache of letters with intelligence buried in the text, CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler learns that not only is her father alive but he is languishing in an East German Stasi jail. Alternating storylines between Luisa and her father, The Berlin Letters shows the tumultuous early days of the wall, bringing Berlin, the epicenter of the Cold War, to life while also sharing one family’s journey through secrets, lies, and division to love, freedom, and reconciliation.”

Interesting, nuanced characters and a strong exciting plot make The Berlin Letters a historical fiction book that stands above many others. Reay’s book captures the DDR (East Germany) during the Cold War, with well-researched details. ”The new neighborhoods are full of tall and identical cement structures that have been built in the last several years, but with little style in their design and little grass and greenery between them. They are not beautiful…the bombed buildings are not being reconstructed in their original fashion. If not left in rubble, the new additions are uniform, cement, and uninspired.”

There is a menacing undercurrent, but the book is not frightening or graphic and moves along quickly. The romance at the end of the book was OK but didn’t really add to the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book by Katherine Reay this is my first time reading this author and I am excited to check out her other books .
The book is a dual timeline between the main character Luisa and her father Harris and her Opa. Luisa is a code breaker for the CIA and is asked by a coworker for help breaking the code of letters from the past. That letter leads her to discover her life is not what she has believed it to be.
Katherine Reay does an excellent job of capturing the essence of East Berlin and the lives of the people who lived there. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about and Katherine Reay has given us another view of this world and how people survived and fought it in their own way.
I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend.

An interesting novel of the Cold War and specifically the history of East and West Berlin before the wall fell. While some of the story seemed preposterous it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you @uplitreads and @harpermusebooks for the #gifted copies 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.

As usual, Katherine Reay delights with her story about life on both sides of the Berlin Wall and all of its pain, joys, and other complexities. I really don't even have a lot of interest in historical narratives of this type, which obviously take a great deal of research to reach this level of authenticity, but I love Reay's writing so I will read whatever she writes. The Berlin Letters did not disappoint; it took me on a journey along with its characters and left me much enlightened and moved by the story. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Katherine Reay is one of my top writers, & while this plot was unexpected – or maybe not, following her last book – I knew I was guaranteed an excellent read.
This is a powerful story. Most of us will have read a lot about the two World Wars, but not be so familiar with the inside story of what life was like for Berliners, in the decades afterward. We will remember the Wall falling, but this book gives a really good idea of what it was like to experience it – from both sides. And also how those who had managed to escape continued to be adversely affected – for the rest of their lives.
The 5th-to-last sentence in the Epilogue was perfect, but it would be a spoiler to quote it...
4 1/2 stars

More than 5 stars is deserved for this book! It totally blew me away. From the very beginning, I was invested in the lives of the characters.

The characters are absolutely amazing! The tenacity and courage that were displayed by each one was admirable! My favorites were Panzer and Willow! I used to be in a punk rock band, and punk is its own universe!

Katherine Reay's writing is extraordinary! I could picture each place in my mind where the story was taking place. My heart raced as Luisa and Haris ran from their perpetrators.

This time in history is bleak but also full of hope. The author's note at the end is worth the read.

I was provided a copy of the book from Harpur Muse via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! It was well researched, and I learned a lot about this time in history. This book had it all-intense suspense, code breaking, family dynamics, and a bit of a love story. I was engaged throughout the book, and it got especially heart pounding towards the end! I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

Wow! I absolutely LOVED this book.

Katherine Reay books are fantastic because she is incredible at research and always manages to teach you so much while sharing an amazing story with you.

The Berlin Letters is a Cold War era novel, written in dual POV. One POV is from a man living behind the Iron Curtain and the other POV is from his daughter, raised in the US by her grandparents. The daughter’s timeline is set in the 1980’s, while her father’s is more broad from the 60’s to the 80’s.

I loved the writing style and the characters in this story so much. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. You know I love an amazing historical fiction, but I also find the CIA and code breaking so fascinating! This book had it all. I learned so much and loved every minute of it.

Bonus points: this is another clean historical fiction!

Beautifully written. Highly, highly recommend The Berlin Letters to you.

Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted e-copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Reay weaves a gorgeous historical fiction novel centered around a dark time in history that has not been braved by many of the historical fiction authors out there. Spanning decades and generations, the book follows Luisa and Haris Voekler’s path to freedom, love and foregiveness across the Berlin Wall. As with many books I read with historical time periods I’m less familiar with, I’m very interested in reading and learning more about the Berlin Wall after reading the Berlin Letters.

At times the book is a little wordy but I believed it had to have been important details Reay needed to include to set the scene.

The Berlin Letters was a fabulous read. Literally couldn’t put this book down! Was an emotional read as well! Highly recommend

Words are just not sufficient… so I’ll write a letter…

Dear Ms Reay,

I truly love your writing. You make history come alive and I’m grabbing onto every word, every feeling, every emotion. There were times when I just couldn’t imagine the terror, the heartbreak, the suffocation, but you could and you gave them voice.

Your descriptions, your knowledge of the time and place created each vivid scene inside my head. You are so good at creating tension and giving leading clues that I literally could not put your book down.

But most of all, I love that your story is not just about the Berlin Wall. It’s about hope and despair, trust and lies. It’s about humanity, human nature and relationships—and it is beautiful.

—A Fan for Life

The Berlin Letters
Author Katherine Reay
Available now!

Thank you, @uplitreads and @katherineray, for my #giftedbook and for the opportunity to be on another of Reay's tours, and thank you, @harpermusebook and @netgalley, for my #gifted e- arc!

I loved The Berlin Letters, and Katherine Reay is now an auto- buy author for me! This one had such a unique plot based on the Cold War and told in dual timelines. I was equally immersed in both suspenseful timelines and loved the back and forth between Luisa in the late 1980s, who is a CIA code breaker that was taught her skills by her beloved grandfather, the man who raised her, and the details of the letters that she discovered that were written after the Berlin Wall was constructed between her grandfather and journalist, Haris Voekler.

With time and patience, she learned the truth about her grandfather's identity, her parent's past, including her father's identity, and even why she has not been advancing in her career. Luisa is a strong protagonist filled with courage and determination, and I loved her moving and suspenseful story that brought readers to Berlin on a rescue mission during the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Letters is truly an unforgettable story of truth, family, and freedom.

Luisa moves to America with her grandparents in to start a new life. She is working as a code breaker for the CIA when her grandfather dies, and she finds out that her father is still alive and living in Communist controlled East Germany. On a mission to reconnect with him and get him out from behind the Iron Curtain, Luisa puts everything at stake.

This historical fiction book has one of the best opening scenes I've ever read- a baby being flung over the Berlin Wall as it is being built.

I had never read a book about the people who lived on both sides of the Berlin Wall and about the secret building of it and how it came down. I was riveted by this book from the beginning to the end. This felt like what we should be learning in history class, but in an enjoyable way.

Tidbits that I learned: Communist held East Berlin had neighbors spying on each other to control them. Punk bands were part of the Resistance. The barbed wire that was the predecessor to the Wall being built went up secretly overnight, then the Wall was built quickly because supplies had been readied outside of town. Families (and sometimes even the houses) were divided and never heard from again. America, in not wanting to start another war, stayed out of it. A plot against the Pope was involved! Needless to say, if you like the Cold War Era, read this book. This a great example of how valuable it is to read historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

The Berlin Letters is my first read from author Katherine Reay, and based on my reading experience, it is readily apparent why she is a beloved author to so many people. Although I was a teen during the 80’s, I was pretty much oblivious to the Cold War and the events occurring in Germany and Eastern Europe--I knew about the Berlin Wall, but not much else. For that reason, this book provided both education and entertainment. With a 1960s setting featuring the wall’s construction, and a 1980s setting featuring the events leading to the wall’s demise, the book is pretty much un-put-downable. Between the multigenerational relationships, political intrigue, and surprising heroes, this book has everything I look for in a great book. (Not to mention that the language is clean, which I GREATLY appreciate as well!)

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Berlin Letters is a treasure of historical fiction. It is filled with suspense and kept me quickly turning the pages. This book really needs to come with a word of caution. “Warning- difficult to put down and plan on many late nights reading this book.” I really didn’t know a lot about the cold war so this was really an eye opener. Truth is often stranger than fiction. This was well written, easy to follow in spite of a lot of things happening all at once. The ending didn’t flow too well for me and I got a little lost. But wow- what a powerful read.
Katherine Reay has quickly become one of favorite historical fiction authors. Without hesitation I will preorder any future books she writes. Berlin Letters I received from Netgalley with no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own. However, I will be purchasing an additional copy to share with friends. Berlin Letters will be enjoyed by those who like a lot of suspense in a historical setting.

All I can say is WOW. This is probably my favorite book I have read this year. I couldn't put it down.
The author takes you on an emotional roller coaster that is full of intrigue and mystery. Her characters are loveable and interesting. She takes you back and forth between the present time and the time when the Berlin Wall went up while trying to find answers from the past.
This book has it all wonderful and relatable characters mixed with an emotional story of love, family intwined in intrique and espionage. I loved this book and if you love historical fiction you will too. I give it 5 plus stars

First of all, I love this cover! The Berlin Letters was an insightful read. I learned a lot from this book and it was such an emotional journey as well. I haven't read enough about the cold war, so this was a refreshing historical fiction novel.

Wow I totally loved this book. Two timelines - one as the Berlin Wall is put up, the other around the time it came down, and the connection between the two. Excellent writing and research of the Cold War.