I knew very little about the history of the Berlin wall, and this book provides a good overview of what was going on in East Berlin when and after the wall went up. If the topic had not been so fresh to me, I don't think I would have finished the book.
I recommend this book for readers who are looking for historical fiction not set during a World War, and readers who want a "clean" book.

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” ~President Ronald Reagan

The Berlin Letters is page-turning historical fiction focused on one family’s trauma as they experience the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1989, Louisa works for the CIA as a cryptographer (code breaker). In one secret cache of letters, Louisa spots a symbol she recognizes from her childhood. From additional letters and a few newspaper articles that her grandfather saved, she is suspicious that her father wrote the letters and that he might still be alive in an East German jail. In alternating chapters, we gain her father’s perspective and glimpses into the early days of the Berlin Wall and how the wall separated the family. After Louisa’s attempt to convince the CIA to intervene fails, she takes matters into her own hands and orchestrates a daring rescue.

I always love a complicated family drama! Some of my favorite histfic reads include a generous side of suspense and/or thriller. In the Berlin Letters, I especially admire how the author skillfully balances family themes, historical details, political intrigue, and suspense. One does not overshadow the others. The Berlin Letters is an example of perfectly balanced character-driven and plot-driven fiction, my favorite! Do you prefer character-driven or plot driven? Or do you enjoy a balance? Do you appreciate a story with a side of thriller/suspense and a daring rescue?

For those who need a break from WWII histfic, this story with its focus on the Berlin Wall (Cold War era) might interest you! For some of you, the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall is your lived history! I’ve seen a section of the Berlin Wall at the Reagan Presidential Library here in California. Do you remember the fall of the Berlin Wall?

I enjoyed both perspectives in this well-told and well-researched story. The father’s perspective provides rich historical details of the beginning of the Berlin Wall and his reflections on being caught on the East German side, gradually reevaluating his ideals, and losing his daughter to the West side through his wife’s impulsive, sacrificial action. The daughter’s perspective supplies the intrigue and suspense as she risks a daring rescue behind the Iron Curtain.

If you enjoy well-researched histfic, you will appreciate the vivid descriptions and historical details provided here about the beginnings of the Berlin Wall, life behind the Iron Curtain, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a family caught in the political turmoil.

I highly recommend The Berlin Letters for fans of compelling historical fiction, for those interested in the Cold War era, for those who appreciate a complicated family drama, and for readers who enjoy a side of intrigue and suspense. As a bonus, there’s also a hint of romance!

Content Consideration: grief

Thanks @AustenProsePR #NetGalley @HarperMuseBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheBerlinLetters upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

A new Katherine Reay book is always exciting, and The Berlin Letters is just as exciting and interesting as A Shadow in Moscow was. If you enjoyed the London Bookshop Affair, A Shadow in Moscow or the Diamond Eye, you’ll enjoy this too. Luisa discovers that her beloved grandfather was involved in getting the truth out from behind the Berlin Wall, and that her father, instead of dying as she was always told, is very much alive but in danger. She has limited time to try and get him to safety. But will courage and basic training in espionage be enough?

This thrilling cold war story pulled me in right from page one and kept the adrenaline pumping through to the very end. With great research Katherine Reay brings East Germany and Berlin into sharp focus from the end of WW II the the fall of the Berlin Wall. The reader can feel the bleak existence the people were allowed, the despair and fear of being reported for any perceived infraction. The stark difference from East to West was brilliantly portrayed. The characters put life into the story, feeling the desperate despair and fear left from the war and how far it reached into the future for each person. Also how far a person will go to help another and erase a past that needs to be left in the shadows in order to move forward into the light. Luisa must face a past filled with lies in order to move herself and her family into a future free of the fear and danger those lies put there. The adrenaline barely has time to fade before the next threat emerges to kick the heart rate up again.
Katherine Reay has become a new favorite author. Her ability to convey historical information with detail and entertainment always leave me wanting more. Her research adds such dimension and realism to her writing, the story leaps off the pages like a movie. Then the characters fill every spot in to pull the reader personally into the story, like you are a part of the movie going on around you. The emotions felt by the characters become the readers' which makes the story pop even more for this reader. The jumps between points of view and timelines flows easily and adds to the entire story. I can not recommend this story more. It is thrilling, entertaining, and informative making for a terrific read that ends far too quickly. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

honestly knew little to none about this part of history going into this book. it starts on the day the wall comes up, dividing east and west berlin and separating 3 year old luisa from her parents in 1961.

luisa goes on to live with her grandparents and aunt in america, believing her parents died in a car accident. we meet her 28 years later as a codebreaker for the cia in 1989. she discovers decades worth of letters exchanged between her grandfather and father (who's not dead but is now taken as a political prisoner!). but we learn all this family's history through two povs: luisa in 1989 and her father haris in 1961 to 1989 just until the wall comes down. it was interesting to see from both perspectives but personally i was more engrossed in Luisa's.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my copy. The Berlin Letters is available now!

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

This was an absolutely phenomenal read by Katherine Reay. It's written in this fabulous new voice that she has found since "The London House," and I cannot get enough.

In this story, Luisa was quickly passed over a barbed wire fence when she was three years old into West Germany. This would eventually become the Berlin Wall. It separated her from her parents, and eventually for the safety of her family, she was moved to America. As an adult, she works for the CIA, but feels like a colossal failure as she isn't an operative, but a code breaker sitting behind a desk. It turns out that her grandfather had been preparing her for such work her whole life. And not just that, but it would lead her to the truth about life in Berlin and what happened to her parents.

If you like:
✔️Intrigue
✔️History
✔️Details
✔️Betrayal
✔️Strong FMC
✔️Dual timelines

...then you will love this story. There is a teensy bit of romance, too, but the Letters are the star of the story.

I personally adored Luisa and her character arc. Things weren't as they seemed for her, and it moved the story along spectacularly. The amount of historical detail had me captivated, and even a little saddened. I've been able to touch a portion of the Berlin Wall and I've seen in-person the car that Pope John Paul II rode in after his assassination attempt. Those moments feel so much more significant for me after reading this incredible story.

4.75 stars

I am a huge fan of historical fiction but the biggest complaint of the genre is that it’s the same story being told. Not a lot is unique. That is not the case for The Berlin Letters! I’ll admit that I haven’t read a lot of books set during the Cold War, but even still, this book felt fresh. I loved the intrigue and suspense the author builds. The writing is so well done. I highly recommend

I go in and out of phases reading historical fiction, but I don’t think I have read a book taking place around the Cold War. I loved the way Katherine Reay weaved two stories together, from varying points of view around this time.

Once I started reading I found myself looking for every spare minute to keep reading. I think I finished this book in like three evenings. I had to know what happened.

The whole idea of coded messages within the letters was so intriguing. I wished there was some key in the back so I could learn more about how this was done. I am so interested, especially since so many different styles were mentioned.

I loved the duel POV, and different time lines tying together current CIA officer Louisa and East Berliner Journalist Haris. Separated by an ocean and many years of secrets, I loved seeing their story come together.

Just like The London House, this was another winner from Reay, out now!

Thank you Harper Muse and Netgalley for this book to read and review.

Imagine that it is the weekend. You (Monica) are a mom with a three year old little girl (Luisa). Your husband (Haris) is a journalist and needs to work even though it is not a weekday. You live in the eastern part of Berlin. You are meeting your parents for lunch. They have moved a few blocks away and are just a few blocks into the western part of Berlin. Imagine that you go out with the stroller to meet them and find barbed wire! You cannot go for lunch but you do something big and impulsive that will have reverberations (no spoiler so no exact details here). This is the beginning of the story, the division of Berlin and the subsequent erection of the wall.

This start of Reay’s novel really captured me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it must have been like for ordinary people when their lives were transformed by a wall and an ideology. It is to Reay’s credit that she sets the scene of the novel so well.

The book goes on to be largely told by two characters. One of these is a grown up Luisa and the other is Haris. There is a lot to find out about both of them (and others) but I do not want to give anything away. A few things to think about: an infinity symbol, truth and lies about family, codes. This should be enough to intrigue prospective readers.

Reay’s last book, A Shadow in Moscow, was a compelling read. Here Reay has again created a book that I both simultaneously could not walk away from and did not want to end. I recommend it very highly.

A note on the audio: There are multiple narrators which gives a true sense of the characters and story. Those who prefer their books as listens can’t go wrong with this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse for the e book and audio versions of this title. All opinions are my own.

I liked this a lot. This book starts out on a pivotal day in Cold War Germany, and continues into the future following one family and their journey. There is a spy element to the story, which I loved. Luisa is such an interesting character and I like where the journey took her. This made me want to read other books about the Cold War period in Germany.

In the prologue, readers are introduced to Monica Voekler, who lived in East Berlin, Germany, on August 13, 1961. Her spouse, Lucia Voekler, is a reporter. He knows that things are becoming heated politically, so he sets out to get the inside news. It never occurred to him that things might get so terrible that barbed wire walls would need to be constructed overnight.

Monika Voekler felt there was trouble brewing. In an instant, she made a decision to pull her daughter Lucia from her stroller and hurl her across the barbed wire into her father's arms. Then she set out to scale the barbed wire. She didn't anticipate what would happen next. It was an event that changed her family forever.

Next, the readers learn about CIA code-switcher Lucia Voekler, who was raised by her grandparents. Carrie, Lucia's friend and co-worker has requested assistance in deciphering what she calls the "Berlin letters." Carrie wants to clear off her desk before she goes on maternity leave. While helping her friend, Lucia spots a symbol that she recognizes. She remembers seeing them in letters she received from her grandfather.

This is an emotionally charged story that touched my heart. I appreciated the rich detail, and depth that made me feel as though I was there with the characters. I also like how this narrative was told in two distinct times by two separate narrators. It made for a comprehensive experience.

I was astonished by a few of the twists and turns. I wasn’t prepared for this dramatic, thrilling conclusion that brought tears to my eyes as I turned the pages, hoping for Lucia and her family's best outcome.

If you love stories set during the time of war, complete with cryptanalysts, code breakers, translators of the Berlin letters who work together to stop enemy communication. You will cherish this captivating novel that covers the Berlin Wall before and after it was built. It's a gripping page turner that had my heart racing during the story's climactic moments and resolution. I had no idea how this would end.
The author’s website features videos from her trip to Berlin, I found them fascinating. This is a fantastic book to choose for a book club. If you haven’t read a novel by this author, I highly recommend you start with this one. In my opinion it’s her best.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Luisa has a complicated background, most of which has been hidden from her. Her origins are East German, her grandparents fled after her parents were killed in a car accident. That’s the story told to her and she never questioned it as it was a plausible one. She works as a CIA operative now and a chance symbol on an envelope led her to a stash of letters hidden under a floorboard. Written by her father, who is alive, but languishing in prison, she discovers a trail of espionage, coded and secret in innocuous terms of accounts of daily life.

That accounted for half the story. The rest was the planned rescue of her father, the obstacles, the betrayals on the way, the many ways used by the general population to circumvent the suppression by the Stasi and the Soviets to create fear, dissension in families and keep people subservient and living under a dominant government.

Combining the story of espionage along with the travails of an ordinary family’s immense courage this was brilliantly accounted in detail.

This is absolutely top tier historical fiction! While I don’t know enough about Berlin to gauge the accuracy, I felt like I learned so much about this important part of history while also becoming enamored with many relatable characters!

I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Katherine Reay at an author’s event here on Amelia Island. She was so kind, and I enjoyed hearing her tell the background of her book, The London House, and I’ve been a fan since then.

Like The London House, The Berlin Letters is a story of the secrets kept within a family and how those secrets become undone.

From the beginning, Reay reels us in as we’re introduced to Haris and Monika, a couple living in East Berlin. Haris, a journalist, believes in what the leaders of his country are doing, yet Monika senses something is amiss. During a visit with her parents at the border of East and West Berlin, she suddenly tosses her daughter, Luisa, over the barbed-wire barrier into her grandfather’s arms and this begins the captivating story of Luisa and her family’s secrets.

Fast-forward to the eighties and Luisa is working for the CIA, yet her grandparents believe she’s ‘just an accountant’. A member of the CIA’s code deciphering division. Luisa recognizes a familiar symbol and feels the connection to her Opa. This begins her pursuit to find not only the connection with her Opa, but to find the truth about her parents.

After decoding her grandfather’s letters, Luisa makes an impulsive decision that takes her to Berlin. This is when the story picks up speed. Want to find out what happens? Pick up the book and you’ll find yourself enthralled with a well-written, extensively researched work of historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

#NetGalley #TheBerlinLetters

What a gripping tale! I read 'til dawn to find what happens to CIA code breaker Luisa Voekler and her father. Makes the scary Cold War era come alive, and will definitely grab histfic lovers of the 20th Century, as it did me. Unputdownable!

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay

Heartbreaking and emotional historical fiction. The Berlin Letters has a mixed emotions story setting. I truly enjoyed it a lot and this is one of the books that I will read it again and again.

The dual timelines and POVs make the story even better. The author did a great job on history researching. I could easily imagine those hard days at that time. The author just brought the readers into her fiction world!

I can’t wait to read more of her works. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse and the author for my copy.

Pub date: March 5, 2024

Katherine Reay weaves a fascinating, well researched novel filled with historical detail in a smoothly flowing dual-time, dual narrator format. The setting is the Cold War leading up to the fall of the wall dividing East Berlin from the rest of the world. Spy adventures aren’t my first choice of novel but The Berlin Letters is so much more than a spy story. It is compelling, heart-wrenching, emotional and suspenseful with memorable characters that provide rich perspective on life on both sides of the wall. I was young enough during the Cold War not to comprehend the complexity and pain that were involved in this difficult and tumultuous time. I was completely drawn in to the characters and story line on page one and devoured the rest of this enlightening book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

🤍Thank you @uplitreads and @harpermusebooks for the gifted copy of The Berlin Letters! 🤍

This book swept me away to a period of history I know very little about. As the Cold War is nearing its end, a codebreaker for the CIA finds herself at the heart of Berlin right before the wall comes down.

This story is heartbreaking, not shying away from the pain and grief that occurred.

Luisa is a beautiful character, fierce and strong, determined to uncover the truth about where she comes from and how she fits in a changing world.

Read if you love:
• Cold War fiction
• dual timeline
• spies + the CIA
• family
• a dash of romance

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: kissing
TW: war time violence, including past mentions of r*pe,
Out Now!

This was an excellent historical fiction novel! I am a huge fan of Katherine Reay’s previous work and this one did not disappoint. By midway through the novel, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the pieces to tie together. I found the end of the book very satisfying and moving. So glad I read this one, I will definitely continue to look for new works by this author!

Synopsis: “Now I’m crossing a line. What I’ve done so far can be laid at the doorstep of curiosity. If I take this flashlight outside and open the crawl space beneath the house, I am doubting Opa’s integrity, his honesty, his very soul…I am committed.” Luisa Voekler has always been told that her parents died in a car accident when she was young, but when her coworker discovers a series of letters with ciphers from behind the Iron Curtain, all that she knows to be true comes crashing down. In a dual point of view, Luisa and her father tell their stories of fighting against the Soviet Union. Who can be trusted, what is true, and is freedom really possible?

Analysis: This gripping Cold War novel is one to immediately add to the top of your tbr! Katherine Reay tells an emotional tale of a daughter and father both seeking freedom in their own ways. I absolutely loved the historical detail and the writing style. The characters are bold, realistic, and captivating. I realized as I was reading how little I actually know about the events of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, and this book makes me want to dive deeper into that history. The unique perspectives told here are ones I think every person would benefit from reading. You’ll find yourself completely immersed in the secrets, ciphers, and twists of this story!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Rating: Clean

*I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.