This is my fourth read by this author. A Shadow in Moscow made my Top Ten of 2023 and I’m sure this one will make my next Top Ten list. This book immediately grabbed my attention depicting the fear of a desperate mother as she shoved her three-year-old child over and through barbed wire towards her family to prevent the child from being raised in the increasingly oppressive regime in East Berlin. And that was just the prologue!

The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon and PJ Ochlan. They did a fabulous job giving life to the characters in this story. I was enthralled. I was glad that I had a digital copy of the text for name verification, but the publisher’s summary can aid with this as well.

The story alternates between dual timelines of the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was built and subsequent events and devastation the parents face with the loss of their child and 1989 when the child, Luisa, who was raised by her grandparents is now living in the US and working as a code breaker for the CIA.

From a young age, Luisa was taught by her grandfather how to work with codes. He would leave her codes to break to get her gifts on special occasions. This love for breaking codes leads to her working at the CIA, though her frustration with her stagnant position leaves her feeling like she’s not good enough. When a coworker shows her the project that she’s working on, Luisa recognizes a symbol in the letters and searches the family home for reference. What she finds is a secret that shockingly launches her into a harrowing adventure and revealing truths about what happened to her mother and her father, who wrote propaganda for the GDR sanctioned newspapers.

The growth and development of characters, especially Haris, was incredibly moving. There’s a moment when he talks about smiling and how it hurts that made me cry. I cried multiple times through this story from the prologue to the end. It really pulled at my heartstrings. I did find at times that switching between narrations, there was a little repetition, especially at the end of the story. However, the emotions attached to those events from a different character were all the more powerful for it, so I didn’t mind, but others may find it unnecessary.

Highly recommend this historical fiction story that covers a family affected by the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for a copy provided for an honest review.

Berlin Letters is a great, pretty quick read about one woman's fast activation from deskbound CIA codebreaker to full-blown operative within a matter of days. Finding hidden letters between her presumed-dead father in East Germany and her recently deceased grandfather in DC, she's quickly thrust into the tumultuous late 80's time of changing politics and the last days of the Berlin Wall. The pacing is great and some characters are very notable and timely, like a group of extreme East German punks, a long lost training colleague and some seemingly neighborly neighbors. A great Trabant ride through time.

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay is an intriguing look at history through a unique generational perspective of the Berlin Wall — from both behind it for its duration and as seen from a Western perspective near its end in the 1980s. It is a story of family, reconciliation, and of truths surviving impossible circumstances.

Reay has done a fabulous job with historical detail and accuracy, as evidenced by the gripping narratives of Luisa and Haris and supported by her informative author’s note. The elements of freedom and life in the U.S. contrast with the determined and steadfast survival of those living in danger behind the wall. This juxtaposition combines with unfolding family secrets in Luisa’s life connected to ongoing CIA activities to pull the reader into a memorable story experience. For me, this book raises questions and curiosity about those who lived closely to these events and survived the atrocious conformity of communism.

I especially enjoyed the audiobook production and the emotions the narrators lent to the story, enriching the experience with German accents and inflections.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the audiobook copy. This is my honest review.

Cold War-era Germany is a chapter of history that I didn't know much about, so I found this novel to be really interesting. Louisa is a strong main character who's very intelligent and likable, and I enjoyed getting to know her. Her narration was so well done.

This book felt a bit longer than I cared for. I normally listen to audiobooks at 1.25x, but I listened to most of this one at 1x because of the accents and wealth of information.

Like many others, after finishing the show the Americans, I became interested in the Cold War, spies, and all that entails. I’ve read a few books about that era ( and have more on my shelves), but when this one came across my screen, I was immediately interested because I don’t think I’d read one from this perspective or from the DDR/GDR.

This is a dual timeline/character novel that takes place starting with the opening of the Berlin Wall until its fall in 1989. that follows Luisa, a young American girl working for the CIA. After her beloved grandfather dies and she goes through some of these belongings, she learns that she has a story she never knew about her escape from East Germany and the family's immigration to the U.S. This is part spy story, part historical fiction that I enjoyed. The historical fiction aspect was stronger for me, and part of that might be because I listed via audiobook and tried to piece together the spy/coding parts, which was hard for my brain to follow without seeing it. Overall, this was a very good book and I enjoyed the story and following Luisia throughout her journey to learn about her past, her family, and her home country. . I lived in Germany during the reunification, but I was too young to understand, and so this book and the historical perspective helped me understand even more.

This was an interesting book about a a moment in time I’ve always known about, but never known much about. This novel is thoroughly researched and has a fast-paced plot rich with intrigue, code-breaking, and spying. It was a surprisingly quick read. The characters could have been more nuanced and complex, though I did enjoy the punk rock revolutionaries. If you want to learn about an interesting period without too much Kristin Hannah-esque heartbreak, this would be a good read for you.

This was my first book by Katherine Reay and WOW! I loved everything about this book! Even though the book had twists/turns and complex relationships, it was written in a way that made it easy to follow and to empathize with the characters. This is the perfect book for anyone that loves historical fiction and wants to see what it was like for Germans post-WWII. I look forward to seeing what Katherine Reay's backlog looks like!

This book was such a great blend of history, personal experience, and reporting. I loved it!

Set across 40-50s years of fictional family history, this book tells the story of the rise and fall of the Berlin wall and how it impacted the families in East Berlin and beyond. It's well written, I loved every single character that we spend any time with, and it was heart wrenching yet hopeful.

Thank you for one of my best books so far this year, I will read this one again and recommend it to others.

hank you to #Netgalley for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review.
My Interest

My college major was Political Science with Russian and East European Studies. Some of my friends have gone on to be Foreign Service Officers and staffers at the National Security Agency–one used to brief POTUS on occasion. So, of course this book caught my eye!

I also had a friend who, as a little boy, was put on a plane with a photo of his much older brother and sent to the safety of “home” in the USA when the Berlin Wall went up.

Then, too, there’s a presidential candidate today who seems to openly admire “that part of the world” and seems to want to drag us into its “sphere of influence.” I’m not sure what drugs that candidate is on to think that is a good idea! If the whole idea of giving up being a superpower to be under the domination of an elected dictator half a world away doesn’t scare the living crap out of you, you need to get out more and read about what really goes on in such governments. Personally, I prefer POTUS being the leader of the FREE world, not a minion of the dark side. I lived for two years under a petty little dictator. I don’t want the leader of the once not-free world over us ever.


The Story

I’m trying not to have spoilers….

Luisa Voekler was born in East Germany to a father who was a party journalist. Before the Berlin Wall her maternal grandparents lived just a few blocks down the street. When the Wall went up her life changed forever. He mother, sensing the horror of what is happening–tosses her over the new barbed wire coils and into her grandfather’s arms and freedom.

Meanwhile, life on the eastern side of the barbed wire, and later the impenetrable wall, had to go on. Luisa’s father, Haris Voekle, goes through his life under the thumb of the regime, but changes his thinking and takes a risk.

Then, in 1989, things take a turn no one saw coming: The Wall comes down! What does this have to do with Luisa and Haris? NO SPOILERS but there is a big connection!
My Thoughts

I thought the story was exciting but not realistic. It did more than merely hold my interest throughout, but the idea was a bit far-fetched–too easy. The author occasionally got me to feel some of the incredible tension under which East German’s lived–especially in their part of Berlin, but not the way a thriller author would have. That was a shame.

The story was told in chapters alternating back-and-forth between Luisa and Haris which was fine till near then end when they both recounted the same action in nearly the same words. That was very tedious. I found it odd that Luisa kept a near perfect Berliner’s accent. Finally, I felt there was “something” the author meant to reveal about Luisa’s aunt, Alice, but it never came.
Problems

“Tasked” wasn’t a word in the 80’s (At least Honecker didn’t “helm” East Germany)
An action being “informed” by something wasn’t in use in the 1980s (but thankfully no one exercised “agency” nor did they see anything “through the lens” of anything)
And gag, one of the cliches of current fiction–she “caught the notes of his cologne”–I rolled my eyes so hard. Thank goodness he didn’t “tenderly tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear” the other cliche I loathe. Both are almost like the free space on the bingo card any more.
A best-selling author using an incorrect word?? Or did the audio performer make mistakes:
A fork has “tines,” not “tongs” as it says in the book!
How “circumvented” his life has become? Should it be circumspect?

My Verdict
3.0

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

As a teen in the 1980s, I was very aware of the Cold War and the stories of life behind the Iron Curtain. Berlin with its dividing wall encapsulated the differences between East and West and the gulf in ideologies. Berlin, at that time in history, makes a great setting for this novel. The author lifts the veil on life behind the Berlin Wall and portrays its hopelessness; a life where no one can be trusted and your life path is chosen for you.

"They've always been in charge. ...You can't see that. Everything you have the state gave you. You think it is your ingenuity, your smarts, but they created you, will use you, and nothing is your own. ...I didn't mind the future they handed us after I met you. The past didn't hurt so much then. You were brighter than their darkness, but I was a fool. I forgot who they are." ~K. Reay

The author's research enlightened me how overnight the city was divided with razor wire and then the wall, erected in 1961. It truly caught people unaware, which made me appreciate how quickly life can change under autocratic rule. In this tale, a family is divided by the wall, as many were back then. As a toddler, Luisa Voekler is passed over the razor wire by her mother, Monica, to her grandparents, and before Monica can crawl through to join them she is forced back by a guard with a gun. Luisa's grandparents raise her to believe that her parents are dead, and eventually they move to the US. It is only after her grandfather's death, that Luisa finds hidden letters that lead her to realize that her father is still alive in East Berlin, and that he's communicated with her grandfather for years in letters with hidden code. Once Luisa realizes her father is alive, she is determined to get him out of East Berlin, even if it means risking her career at the CIA or her own freedom.

This was such an enjoyable read, from the nostalgic pop culture references of life in the 80s, to the heartwarming story of a daughter's love for the father she barely remembers. This is a fast paced novel that will have you on the edge of your seat as Luisa risks everything for answers and the opportunity to bring her father to freedom.

The Berlin Letters is told from several points of view, immersing the reader in the Cold War era. In 1989, Luisa Voekler is an undercover CIA code breaker who investigates old codes from WWII. The story hinges on a mystery she discovers in letters left behind by her father, whom she has believed was dead.

As Luisa discovers the letters are in fact written in code, we also hear from the perspective of her father and his awful experiences trying to be safe and pursue justice in a divided Berlin. As Luisa Voekler works through the mystery, the story builds to the defining event of the wall coming down.

Ultimately, this bored the heck out of me. Luisa was annoying. The only chapters I enjoyed were her father's and by the last quarter, we weren't reading from him anymore. The mystery is as obvious as possible from the get go, and honestly from the synopsis. I had to force myself through the last two hours of this audiobook because despite good narration, the writing was predictable, cheesy, and read like a cliché movie. I hoped for a historical fiction novel that would bring a different and interesting perspective, and this wasn't it. Even the author's note about her research landed as unimpressive and uninspired.

I must admit, when I first looked at this book, I assumed it was about World War II. Much to my surprise and delight, this book centers around the Cold War. I really enjoyed this change of pace in historical fiction, especially given how relevant the situation is today, with international political tension. It’s a good reminder of where we’ve been and to prevent it in the future. I thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving in and out the two stories of daughter and father. I also really enjoyed the narrators, authentic German accents, and emotion. The authors note is very important, and I encourage all readers to not miss out.

Copied from Goodreads:

"The Berlin Letters" occupies an unusual space in historical fiction--1980s behind the Iron Curtain. Most significantly, Reay's scene-setting and attention to detail were phenomenal. I have not been in Germany for more than twenty years, but her writing instantly transported me to East Berlin. The letters themselves offered real insight into the characters writing them. Although they were the link that brought her to discover her family connection, they also served as the backbone of the text. I was fascinated by the true link between punk, Catholicism, and the fall of communism. The bad: I found Luisa's desired career completely laughable. I really hope her naivete would have been weeded out by supervisors well before she had any authority or worked in her chosen field. In general, I found 31-year-old Luisa to be the most wooden character in the novel; even the secondary characters seemed to have more depth. Her storyline was also the most predictable and her ending was too pat for my taste.

With "The Berlin Letters," Reay deviated from her previous texts but showed deft writing ability with an engaging Cold War novel.

"The Berlin Letters" was released in the U.S. on March 05, 2024. Thanks to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the advanced audiobook! I really loved this story. I honestly didn’t know much about the Berlin Wall outside of it splitting the city and this was a poignant look at how the wall really drove a wedge between families and made people make tough decisions. I loved the alternate timelines and the narrators were really fantastic. Recommend!

Wow, I loved this book! From the start, I was hooked, the book continued to flow effortlessly drawing me deeper and deeper into it as I listened to it unfold. I wouldn't typically say that audio versions of a book enhance it beyond reading a copy, but for this one, it did! I enjoyed the vocal artist who gave life to this story, I felt like I was listening to the characters themselves as they told their story. I highly recommend this book. It's a part of history in our not so distant past that isn't terribly well known but is very important and enlightening. It really makes you think about how privileged many people are and take it for granted. It also sheds light on how there are still many others who live in such an oppressed and dangerous situations.

THE BERLIN LETTERS by Katherine Reay and read by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon, & P. J. Ochlan was a story that took me into a place I vaguely remember hearing about and gave it life!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When I first saw this title, I thought I had an inkling of what it might be about. All I really got right was the Berlin Wall was involved. I am so glad I was wrong, as I underestimated this story entirely.

Beginning at the onset of the divisions in Germany in the 1960's and traveling through time until the 1980's and to when the wall fell, this is a story of a family divided yet not lost. Luisa is working as a code breaker and feels stuck concentrating on WWII codes when she stumbles upon letters that her father wrote from East Germany. The confusing thing is that the letters appear to be current and she was told her parents both died when she was small. Luisa won't stop until she knows the truth, taking her back into East Germany and behind the iron curtain where she isn't sure what she will find or even if she can get back.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline/perspectives in this story. The 60's side from Haris was quite revelatory in how things progressed from the Russian side. The way it all came together was intense and I couldn't multitask at all! I was riveted by so many parts of this story. I had no idea how fast the Berlin Wall and it's wires went up. I had no idea how families were split and people were stuck with no recourse for months or years. Or decades.

I learned so much with this story, but it was so exciting to have the lessons wrapped up in a compelling story with action, family secrets, & heartbreak. I cannot wait to chat with @bookfriendsbookclub about this soon!

Thank you to @harpermusebooks & @netgalley for this fantastic audiobook that published on March 5th, so it is available now!

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 listened to the audiobook version and the narration was really good. It's a book that works well as an immersive read. I recommend the audiobook version and the paperback which is truly lovely.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a terrific novel! I was immediately pulled in by the first chapter and loved the dual POV throughout. Although I don't read a lot of historical fiction, I was impressed with how quickly I was wept back to this period of time. The author did a great job relating the reality of life in East Berlin as well as recounting the events that led to the opening of the Wall. The audiobook is well done and the tension of the story stays strong right up until the end. Thanks for the chance to read this--I'm definitely going to look into this author's backlist!

Get ready for a fast moving ride during the fall of the Berlin wall. book with history and intrigue. A CIA code breaker discovers a symbol from her childhood that leads her to family secrets in West/East Berlin. The rescue might not be 100%t believable, but go with the story and learn about the life and difficulties of living in East Berlin.

This is a great selection for a book club that loves history and intrigue.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher, Harper Muse for the audio.

This was a truly lovely read. The author did an excellent job of balancing the intrigue of solving a mystery with the complexities of family relationships. It is a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone regardless of whether they usually like historical fiction.