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.

This was sooo good and a refreshing change of pace from all the WWII historical fiction that's on the market. Full of family secrets, espionage, codebreaking, covert ops to rescue a family member and what life was like for people in Berlin during the 1960s-80s on both sides of the wall.

Told through a dual timeline narrative that sees an East Berlin couple giving up their daughter so she can live free in the West only to yearn for a reunion that never comes in time before one of them dies.

Amazing on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld among others and highly recommended for fans of books like The girl behind the wall by Mandy Robotham. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I’ve been mulling over what to say in a review for a few days now, trying to find the words to convey the impact this story had on me. Maybe because of the political times we live in world wide — so many people are living out their own Iron Curtain situations, or can see the threat looming on the horizon. And even in countries where democracy is supposedly safeguarded, the perils of exclusion, book bans, groups of people being treated as ‘other’ etc. is very real. So, to say ‘The Berlin Letters’ got me thinking would be an understatement. This is definitely the kind of read that will sit with me for a long time to come.

Reay has done an exceptional job of merging two timelines into a cohesive whole with the kind of block buster ending worthy of an Oscar. In fact, I could easily imagine this novel in cinematic splendour. The author’s descriptions of setting and character emotions brought everything into sharp focus and made me feel my way through to the spectacular ending.

The espionage/thriller aspects had me gasping out loud and I was so invested in Luisa’s family history mystery I couldn’t stop reading…well listening. (I highly recommend the audio book. The multi-narration delivered by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon and P.J. Ochlan is stunning. Their portrayal of these characters really added to my emotional investment in the story.)

I read a lot of fiction and love most of what I read but, once in awhile a spectacular novel comes my way and I know it’s spectacular because I am changed for having read it. ‘The Berlin Letters’ is that kind of book. The author challenged some of my preconceived ideas and opened my heart to being more understanding and accepting and I am grateful for that.

My thanks to Harper Muse audiobooks and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of The Berlin Letters.

A fascinating and emotionally charged story of a family torn apart by the Berlin Wall. As the wall goes up, three year old Luisa's mother throws her over the wall to her parents, on the West side of the wall, leaving her and her husband trapped in the East,

In 1989, Luisa is working as a codebreaker for the CIA and discovers a symbol she recognises from her childhood. Breaking the code leads her to discover that her father and grandfather were in letter contact for many years and that her father, who she believed to have died, is alive and a prisoner in Berlin.

The story is told from the POV of Luisa and her father, across two timelines and it is clear that the author has extensively and meticulously researched life in a divided Berlin, in particular in the DDR.

A great book which was narrated brilliantly by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon and P. J. Ochlan. A full cast is always appreciated and makes a huge difference to an audiobook.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Katherine Reay and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse, for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon, and P. J. Ochlan, all of whom do an exceptional job!!! I highly recommend the audio book if that is of interest to you.

I have not read many historical fiction novels about the day Russia permanently separated East Berlin from West Berlin with a solid concrete wall. The wall went up unexpectedly and instantaneously divided friends, families, employees, and even buildings. This is a well written and researched story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Louisa discovers that her German grandparents fled East Berlin at the time the wall went up, and her mother passed her over the barbed wire fence in a selfless act to provide Louisa with freedom. Now living in America and working for the CIA as a code breaker, Louisa starts down the path of discovering that her grandfather was a spy and her father is still alive.

The story is told alternating between Louisa and Harris, her father. The dual-time, dual-narrated story starts down from the building of the wall to a daring rescue.

This is a fantastic, well written story that I highly recommend!!!

This book had me on edge the entire time. I couldn’t believe she was the daughter and that her father was indeed still alive. The cake story while hilarious I never thought it would lead to her discovering the letters. The fact that the CIA was able to get ahold of some of her grandfathers letter was crazy and that one small symbol not only tipped her off but lead her to be able to save her father. The fact that the wall fell at that perfect time and they were able to walk through to freedom was like the icing on the cake. The only thing I wish we would have gotten was the pregnant coworker I would have liked to know if she made it through labor and delivery smoothly.

I had not long turned 14 when the Berlin Wall came down to immense celebration, signalling the end of the cold war and a new era of peace in th world. It was such a momentus memory, that I was intrigued to listen to The Berlin Letters, written by Katherine Reay and narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon and P. J. Ochlan.

I remember learning about the divide in school, seeing the footage of people trying to cross the divide and not succeeding (I feel old saying this, but there was much less censorship for teens in the late 80s, especially when it came to learning about the two great wars and their ramifications

Ergo, I was intrigued to listen to this audiobook and I was not disappointed. The book begins when CIA code breaker Luisa Voekleris just 3 years old, and with her mother on the way to visit her mothers parents. However, on the way, their journey is barred by barbed wire and guards with guns. Overnight, Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev recommended to East Germany that it close off access between East and West Berlin on an ideological basis. On the night of August 12-13, 1961, East German soldiers laid down more than 30 miles of barbed wire barriers through the centre of Berlin. In a desperate act, Luisa's mother risks her life and passes Luisa over the barricade to Luisa's Grandfather, but cannot get over the barrier herself

Fast forward to Washington 1989, and Luisa is working as a code breaker when she discovers a cache of letters which leasds her to discover that her father is still alive and in prison in Germany. Not able to secure any assistance in the US, Luisa flies to West Germany to reunite with her father which is a significantly harder endeavour than she could have ever imagined

Beautifully written, honest, emotive and lyrical. A stunning novel that is very well researched andreflective of an essential part of global history and the impact it had on the people of Berlin

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse, the author Katherine Reay and the narrators Saskia Maarleveld, Ann Marie Gideon and P. J. Ochlan for this outstanding ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinins are my own