Hooray! Historical fiction set in Germany that is NOT about WW2. The Berlin Apartment focuses on a young, engaged couple in 1960s Berlin in the days and years following the construction of the Berlin Wall. I really enjoyed the history, the story, and the surprising plot line. It was different, and that was so refreshing.

“The Berlin Apartment” is a historical fiction story by Bryn Turnbull. This book follows two people - Lise and Uli over a number of years. Lise lives in East Berlin, but goes to school in West Berlin. Uli lives in West Berlin. They get engaged and then, overnight, Berlin is divided in half - with each on separate sides. Like many people separated by the division, plans to get Lise (and others) into West Germany are discussed - finally agreeing upon Uli and his friends digging a tunnel under what is now known as the Berlin Wall. What I liked about this book was that it did not go in the direction I thought it would (thanks Ms. Turnbull). I enjoyed the discussions about digging the wall and learning more about other ways people tried to reunite with their families in West Germany. What I found a bit confusing was in the third part, where another character’s past was introduced - I would have preferred for that storyline to have been woven into the initial story because it felt jarring to be presented in that manner. Overall, if history about The Berlin Wall is of interest to you, this could be a book you find interesting.

As an adult, I’m fascinated by the history and impact of the Berlin Wall. My first recollection of the infamous barrier was hearing the term ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ and then news in 1989 of the wall being torn down.

Shocked that something like this could happen I eagerly read:
✔️The Girl Behind The Wall by Mandy Robotham
✔️The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
✔️The Midwife of Berlin by Anna Stuart
✔️The Secretary by Catherine Hokin

When I saw this book by one of my favourite authors, I knew I had to read it.
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A city divided. A family fractured. A couple caught on either side of the Berlin Wall.

Bryn Turnbull’s book, The Berlin Apartment, is a wonderful exploration of this complex and tumultuous time in history and its enduring legacy. She tells the tale of a separation from a couple’s perspective and shows the struggle to begin living a life with the menacing wall splitting their relationship in half and putting stress on their respective families. Her examination of the complexities of this pivotal moment in history is stellar.

How do you move forward when half of ‘you’ is missing? What about finishing your education? How can you plan a wedding? What if everyone in your family doesn’t have the same outlook on the wall’s purpose?

Lise Bauer is a Western-educated student. She’s known as a grenzgänger, because (prior to August 13, 1961) she crosses from East Berlin into West Berlin frequently. Lise falls in love with a ‘wessie’, Uli Neumann, and they secretly become engaged with plans to tell her family in the coming days. Unfortunately, while she’s sleeping on August 13, 1961, the East German Antifascist Protection Border is erected. All of a sudden these lovers are separated by a quirk of geography.

“And I’m supposed to just - just give it all up? Give up my husband, give up my education, my career, for the good of - of what, the state?”

You’ll have to read to discover how Lise and Uli dig deep to find their inner strength and put themselves at risk for the sake of a better life.

Quinn reminds us that we still live in a wall-building era and that we continue to allow political, philosophical and psychological walls to be built, separating families and friends. I appreciated the opportunity to examine the walls in my life, the ones I erected in the name of protection, and see if they are still necessary or if maturity allows me to demolish them.

If this sounds like an interesting read for you, Google Lise’s address (56 Rheinsberger Strasse in Mitte) to see what the building looked like and how close to the wall the Bauers lived. It gave me perspective.

This story of individual heroism and family devotion is one you’ll want on your reading list this Fall.

I was gifted this book by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Beautifully written and so romantic, this histficrom captures the impact of the Berlin Wall and those divided from each other because of it. So authentic I felt as if I was right with lovers Uli Neumann and Lise Bauer, violently torn apart in Berlin 1961, when the wall goes up. A must-read!