After reading The Berlin Letters, I am super intrigued with the Cold War era and I love how much this book expanded my understanding. I was truly fascinated the entire time I read this book. It just sucked me in and wow! I was so invested not wanting to stop reading, while also kind of wanting to go and google all about the fall of the Berlin Wall. I can’t even imagine what it was like for families like those represented in this story, where they were cut off from one another and lived in fear of being honest with how things really were.
One of my favorite things about this book was the letters themselves and all the intrigue and secret intelligence. I guess I just really like spy stories or those in the secret intelligence genre. It was so well crafted with the alternating points of view and points in time. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it for fans of historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Berlin Letters has a fascinating premise with complex and intriguing characters. The reader is immediately transported to 1961 Berlin as it was being divided and also to 1989 Berlin as the wall comes down. This is a captivating and compelling look at Cold War history.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my review.

I have read a lot of historical fiction in the past, but none of it focused on the Cold War or the Soviet Union. While it may not get as much literary attention as WWII, the effects that WWII had on eastern Europe is staggering. I thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse of what life may have been like for those in East Berlin who were under a strict regime and possibly separated from their friends and family on the other side of the wall. Luisa was a wonderful main character and I loved the other characters as well. This was an amazing story about a family's love and determination to do the right things during a tumultuous time. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

3.5 Stars
Luisa grows up with her grandparents because her parents have passed in a car accident. She was born in Berlin but moved to the States when she was young for her grandfather's work. Luisa worked for the CIA decoding messages from foreign correspondence. She had wanted to work at Langley but fell short and was sent down while her other friends went on.
This book was good for the first fifty pages but then it got really slow and detailed. I found myself looking up things more than enjoying the story. Then the novel went on to be incredible for the last one hundred. If it wasn't for all the unneeded detail this would have been close to five stars for me.
The novel was well researched -overly so, great family drama and an awesome, original plot with well loved characters.

Phenomenal!

Katherine Reay has written an inspirational story set during the Cold War. With her signature attention to detail, she transports her readers to Berlin and the life-altering crucible that followed the seemingly overnight construction of the Berlin Wall.

Well-written and expertly plotted, readers follow the story of Luisa as she uncovers secrets from the past that lead her on a dangerous mission. This story can be labeled as a spy novel, filled with intrigue of code-breaking and espionage. Yet readers will also find it a story of family, love and forgiveness. It follows one family's journey on both sides of the wall from 1961-1989.

I was not born when the Berlin Wall went up and I was too young and sheltered by the freedoms the Western world takes for granted, to fully grasp the significance when the wall fell. Through Ms. Reay's poignant story and its strong sense of place, I found myself immersed within the pages of the story, feeling the paranoia and horrors that many behind the wall experienced daily. But immersed within the story is a strong message of resilience.

I absolutely loved this story. Definitely one for the keeper shelf!

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Berlin Letters is a compelling novel about the Cold War. In 1961, as the Berlin wall was going up, Monica Voekler threw her young daughter Luisa over the barbed wire to her parents on the west side. She was unable to cross herself. Luisa grew up in America, believing that that her parents died in a car accident. She works at the CIA cracking codes in secret. After her grandfather’s death, she finds a secret stash of letters from her father. Reading them, she discovers that her grandfather and father had been sending each other coded letters. Her father is still alive, and she will stop at nothing to rescue him.

My thoughts on this novel:
• The first chapter was gripping and pulled me right into the novel. I never thought about how sudden the wall went up and how families could be separated forever.

• This was a page turner and I kept wanting to read/listen to this book to find out how it would all end.

• The story kept me engaged throughout. I liked the narrative with the chapters alternating between Luisa in the present, and Haris (her father) in the past leading up to the present (1989).

• This story had everything – mystery, suspense, family drama, codes to crack, spies and even a bit of romance.

• The characters were all compelling and I particularly identified with Luisa and her story.

• I thought it was remarkably interesting to read about how the communists were very unhappy when John Paul II became the pope as they had spies in the Vatican before that time.

• Also interesting was a tidbit that the Soviet Union was on the verge of invading Poland until President Reagen was shot and the United States put itself on alert. The Soviets decided to back down at that point.

• I always find it so strange how different east and west Berlin were from each other. Haris has a time where he is walking the streets looking at buildings that were bombed out during World War II and how they still are not repaired after almost forty years. He thinks about how there are certain areas that tourists are allowed and how they are kept looking nice.

• Speaking of the present, I was a child of the eighties and felt old remembering the events of 1989 and 1990 in this historical fiction novel.

• As I have been doing with a lot of books this month, I started this one as a physical book and then switched to the audiobook as I have had a lot of driving time to listen to audiobooks. I really liked the different narrators in this book to narrate. I especially liked P.J. Ochlan’s accent as Haris Voekler.

• I enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the novel that detailed her research into this time period.

• There are also terrific book club discussion questions at the end of the book. I think this would provide a book club plenty of good tidbits to discuss at a group meeting.

• I would love to see this book made into a movie.

Overall, The Berlin Letters is a fascinating historical fiction book on the Cold War. The story of father and daughter, Haris and Luisa put a face on the heartbreak that so many people had to endure during that time period.

Katherine Reay is back with another winner of a book!

I love how many recent fiction releases are focusing on the Cold War era, as I really don't know much about it--so I get to learn a lot while pleasure reading. A win win!

I did geek out hard at references to Ottendorf ciphers (obscure _National Treasure_ connections for $200, Alex) and _Ladyhawke_, and I'm sure others more familiar with or who grew up in that era will enjoy even more the movie and music references! The ciphering reminded me a lot of Roseanna White's book The Number of Love and its sequels. Fans of that series will certainly enjoy this read.

One of the MC's more significant decisions seemed suuuuper quick--but that may have just been me, and of course worked well to further the plot. ;) I'd be curious to discuss that with other readers but will stop myself here to avoid spoilers. And it's one of those that's hard to say what I would have done in the same instance.

I wouldn't label the read as Christian fiction (contrary to other Reay books, as I recall); faith isn't mentioned here. But, I did expect that to a point, with Harper Muse being the publisher, and my previous experiences with them. It _is_ a clean read (though does include one passing use of "hell" as a swear word).

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am old enough that I remember the Berlin wall coming down, but young enough that my memories are very vague and I did not really understand the implications of this historical event at that time. This is one of the few historical fictions books that I have read about the Cold War and the divide between East and West Germany, especially focusing on the harsh realities of life in the USSR for its citizens.

In the novel, Luisa is born in East Berlin, but given to her grandparents in West Berlin as an infant, and they later move to the U.S., where she grows up to become a CIA analyst. After the death of her grandfather, she discovers a secret code hidden in letters that her grandfather wrote to a man behind the Berlin Wall. Luisa using her training to decode the letters and discovers some shocking secrets about her family. This leads her on a dangerous mission to Germany to go undercover behind the Iron Curtain.

The first part of the novel was a bit slow for me, and I enjoyed it more when the pace picked up after Luisa arrived in Germany. Regardless, I found this to be a very well researched and interesting overview of The Cold War, and I would definitely recommend it to historical fiction fans who are eager to learn more about this time in history.

I received audiobook and e-book versions to review, but I enjoyed the audiobook more, as I appreciated the authentic German accents to bring the characters to life. Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Harper Muse for this book to review!

Just an incredible story!!
Vividly brings to life the days of unrest and the time
Behind the Berlin Wall.
Dual times, both intriguing.

This one takes you to the Cold War days in Berlin. I appreciated and enjoyed greatly learning about this era and place in time.

It also takes you to a more recent time period of 1989, and the days when Luisa is grown, and trying to figure out exactly what happened to her family in her early childhood days.

I think my favorite time period of the two is the more recent one, in the 80s. As a young child in those days, I remember hearing about the Berlin Wall, and then it's collapse. I especially enjoyed reading this story, set in those tumultuous days.
I loved seeing how the two time periods came together, and watching Luisa make sense of her early years, and what happened to her parents and grandparents in those days back in the 60s.

Highly fascinating, intriguing and much more!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Highlights:
✨Dual Timelines & Dual POVs: Both the timeline and POVs aid the character development of Haris and Luisa while maintaining a riveting pace for the story. Personally, I liked Haris’s storyline a bit more since I enjoyed learning how the Wall came to be.
✨Historical Research: Reay’s research shines through the story. I remember the Berlin Wall coming down, but I didn't know much of the history before 1989. Reay paints the bleak, gray, hopeless reality of how quickly the wall was built, highlighting that it not only physically separated East Berlin from the rest of the world but also had a significant social and economic impact. I love that she includes how the punk scene in East Berlin propelled the resistance.
✨Espinoage Elements: I love the inclusion of code-breaking. Luisa, a trained CIA agent, unravels the secrets of her family's past. This mystery will surely excite any spy thriller lovers.

I paired the audiobook with the physical copy of the novel. All three narrators did an excellent job with their respective characters. However, since the book was so engaging and fast-paced, I found that my eyes read faster than my ears could listen. Usually, I listen to audiobooks at 1.5x speed, but in this case, I just had to know what happened next, so my eyes won the battle.

Luisa Voekler's family is originally from East Berlin, but all she remembers is life in America. Some of her favorite memories of her Opa were all of the hidden clues, scavenger hunts, and codes he would create for her. This serves her well in her job as a codebreaker for the CIA. Only she wants to do more than decode old and obsolete WWII codes. When her coworker shows her the "Berlin Letters", her current project, Luisa is taken back to her childhood and something familiar she has seen with her Opa. Luisa quickly discovers that Opa and her father, Haris, (who she thought was dead) were in communication together for years. Haris Voekler is still alive and lives in East Berlin. Luisa is left with more questions than answers as she finds evidence that the letters contain coded messages between her father and Opa. Will Luisa be able to save her father? The Berlin Letters is a fantastic book that is told by both Luisa and Haris at various points. I learned so much through this book about East Berlin and the Cold War. Highly recommend this book!

Just wow!
What happens after the Berlin Wall?
Haven’t read many books on this part of history- Cold War and Russia!

The only thing- I needed a little bit more! A little bit more is the characters, a little bit more of their story, a little bit more of History.

Reay does an amazing job in her research! Can I just read her research?


And caveat I finished it three days before I go hear her!!

💬*𝙈𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.*⁣ Thank you Net Galley for the first look!
💬 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵:𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/

In August 1961, the Soviets erected the first barrier cutting West Berlin off from East Berlin and surrounding East Germany. This barrier, which would later become the Berlin Wall, separated families overnight. Out of desperation, Luisa Voelker was handed through the wire barricade from East Berlin to her grandparents in West Berlin. Hans Voekler, her father, is a journalist loyal to East Germany's Communist Party.

Twenty-eight years later, as the Cold War rages on, Luisa is a skilled codebreaker for the CIA who has been tasked with decoding documents from World War II. A familiar symbol on a letter she is decoding leads her back to Berlin to uncover the secrets of her past on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

"The Berlin Letters" is as dual perspective novel that alternates between Luisa and Hans's stories until the two intersect in Berlin.

"The Berlin Letters" is filled with intrigue and suspense set to a historical background. Reay's descriptions of the Berlin of the 60s and the 80s are vivid and easily drew me into those worlds. This book is a great read for historical fiction fans or fans of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff, or Kristen Harmel.

Thank you to Harper Muse Books and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Berlin Letters is a well written, dual POV, historical fiction story set during the 1960's-1980's. Bouncing back and forth between the United States and East Berlin, Germany, The Berlin Letters follows Luisa Voekler, a code-breaker for the CIA, and her father, an imprisoned reporter. Long to have believed him dead, Luisa uncovers hidden letters addressed to her grandfather written by her father detailing his life in East Berlin. Determined to find her father and release him from prison and with no plan, Luisa covertly travels to East Berlin to do the impossible.
Part spy story, part Cold War novel, The Berlin Letters transports readers to a time before the fall of the Berlin wall, where tensions are high.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

“Don’t die in the waiting room of the future.”

Another phenomenal historical fiction from Katherine Reay! I was in high school when the Berlin Wall seemed to come down overnight. The Berlin Letters swept me back in time to 1989 when punk rock was at its height and the Iron Curtain was finally coming down. This powerful story of a father and daughter separated by a wall of information and a literal wall kept me on the edge of my seat.

Luisa grew up loving cracking the codes her grandfather created for her. Now a code breaker for the CIA, she uncovers a link to her own past while decoding letters from the WWII era.

After once being a proud Soviet East Berliner, journalist Haris Voekler is now disillusioned by the unkept promises of the GDR. After losing his daughter and wife, he begins writing coded letters to his father-in-law who lives on the other side of the wall. He shares what’s happening as neighbor spies on neighbor and the underground youth punk movement begins working for freedom.

After her grandfather’s death Luisa discovers hidden letters from her father. Learning he’s alive and in prison, she attempts a daring rescue to free him from East Berlin.

This book was such a touching, suspenseful snapshot of what was going on in Germany 1989. The intensity is palpable especially when Luisa is in East Berlin trying to rescue her father. When the borders are suddenly opened, I loved the feeling of both euphoria and fear as the people wonder if it’s real and lasting or if East Germany’s iron fist will close them again. When Luisa & Haris meet for the first time, it’s such an emotional yet intense moment after being separated for 20 plus years.

The twists and turns, complex relationships, powerful historical details woven throughout, suspense and even a hint of romance kept me eagerly turning the pages. Definitely recommend this amazing book to historical fiction lovers. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through TLC Booktours. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

I always love Katherine Reay's writing, but this one stands tall for me as one of her best books since her stunning debut with Dear Mr. Knightley. When Reay is at her best, she strikes just the right balance between history and faith and life's difficulties and romance, and I thought she nailed it in this one! Dual timeline stories are hit and miss for me, but I absolutely loved this one and thought it was woven together perfectly, and no spoilers were given by the more recent timeline (which is a major pet peeve of mine!). I also think Reay is a master of epistolary fiction, and her use of codes in the letters in this book was brilliant and made it even more masterful! This is a book I will read again and again! I absolutely loved it! I will say the prologue absolutely gutted me - so much so that I didn't start chapter 1 for almost a week after reading it. I felt like I needed to prepare myself emotionally for the rest of the story. I'm glad I came back to it though. It will undoubtedly be one of my top picks for the year!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and I also checked out the audiobook from my library. I loved the use of two narrators and thought the male narrator's German-accented English was excellent and added a lot to the story for me. I was also impressed that the coded letters worked in audio format. I do want to look at the letters a little more closely and see how the codes worked, so I've also ordered the paperback and am excited to experience it in that format.

This book improved for me as it progressed - the end was definitely the most engaging and exciting part. As far as historical fiction goes, I found this one pretty predictable and therefore a little boring, but maybe I've just read too many books in this genre! I didn't feel like the main character was fleshed out enough for me to really care about or understand her, so that's also probably why I felt a little disconnected as I read. All that said, this book is full of espionage, family secrets, and post-WWII Europe, so give it a try if those things pique your interest!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. * I absolutely love this book. I will be adding a more in-depth review ASAP.

I really enjoyed reading about this time period because I haven’t read many novels set during the Cold War. I enjoyed taking the time while reading to do some research about the Berlin Wall to better educate myself about the history behind this beautifully written story. Katherine Reay does an amazing job using the dual timeline, dual perspective to take us through the journey of Luisa breaking the code of the letters to discover not only secrets for the CIA but also the secrets of her past.

One of my favorite quotes from the books is “It’s funny how easily you can convince yourself that the people that you live with see the world like you do.” It really stuck with me because it is so true.

1961: Monica Voekler tosses her 3-month old daughter over to her parents in West Berlin, just as the Berlin Wall is under construction. An act of bravery to save her daughter from the events to come, but an event that will haunt Monica and her husband Haris for the rest of their lives.
1989: Luisa Voekler is a CIA codebreaker. Raised by her grandparents in the US, Luisa has very little memory of her childhood in Germany. When she stumbles across some letters at work that are eerily familiar, she quickly finds herself back in her past and fighting for family she thought was gone forever.

I enjoy historical fiction and am always fascinated when reading about the Cold War. I remember seeing footage of the Berlin Wall coming down and hearing stories of how horrible it was when it was built....but I never really understood it until I read this book. All that to say, Reay does a phenomenal job at portraying the struggle endured during this tumultuous time in history. Her characters are well developed, likeable, and brave as hell.