The Girl Behind the Wall
- Downloads：5949
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-05 02:18:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mandy Robotham
- ISBN：B08PTRP9X5
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Shannyn
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Just not for me。 Sisters being separated just doesn’t tug at my heartstrings。 I don’t generally like books like that anyway which is why I don’t romances。 I found the writing style didn’t flow super well either。
Sara
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A tale of a divided city and a divided family torn apart by the over night erection of the Berlin Wall。 Twins Jutta and Karin are separated by the sudden divide， as Karin happens to be in East Berlin and falls sick and becomes trapped in the wrong world。 I love historical fiction， especially connected to German history and the level of research it to the book combined with the fantastic characters making this a wonderful read。 An excellent depiction of the lengths and risks you will go to for yo A tale of a divided city and a divided family torn apart by the over night erection of the Berlin Wall。 Twins Jutta and Karin are separated by the sudden divide， as Karin happens to be in East Berlin and falls sick and becomes trapped in the wrong world。 I love historical fiction， especially connected to German history and the level of research it to the book combined with the fantastic characters making this a wonderful read。 An excellent depiction of the lengths and risks you will go to for your family & the disruption of history。 。。。more
Hanlie
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On 13 August 196， in the middle of the night， nearly 60 years ago Operation Rose got underway。 At the end of the day people were divided; literally。 Families were split apart and another very dark time started for the Germans people。 This is the story of Jutta and her twin sister Karen。 Twin sisters that are suddenly divided by a wall。 Jutta in West Berlin and Karen in a hospital in East Berlin after an emergency appendix operation and fighting an infection。 Jutta's only goal is to get Karen out On 13 August 196， in the middle of the night， nearly 60 years ago Operation Rose got underway。 At the end of the day people were divided; literally。 Families were split apart and another very dark time started for the Germans people。 This is the story of Jutta and her twin sister Karen。 Twin sisters that are suddenly divided by a wall。 Jutta in West Berlin and Karen in a hospital in East Berlin after an emergency appendix operation and fighting an infection。 Jutta's only goal is to get Karen out and when she finally finds a way into East Berlin after 2 years， she is relieved that she would succeed but will she？ Because life happened for Karen。 Life and love。 What a fascinating read！ Very well researched and written。 I felt the anxiety the characters experienced and felt quite emotional at times。 What a horrible thing to experience。 I cannot imagine what I would have done under such circumstances Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 。。。more
Ev
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This is the best book I’ve read all year！ Marvellous and oh， so hard to put down。。。
Diane
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A little slow to start and often wordier than I would like， but I still enjoyed reading it。
Mike Simmonds
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Heartwarming and terrifyingA narrative that is a journey of emotions in the wake of the Berlin Wall revelling to terrifying and humanly tragic consequences。 Eye opening and keeping the reader involved and anticipating。
Jane Hodgkinson
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I feel bad but I just found the whole premise of the novel implausible。
Jennifer
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This book was great， have enjoyed all the books that she has written。 The determination and sacrifice that the sisters go through to make life work for them when the wall goes up throughout the story is what one does for family。 The hardships that they faced and conquered is one of the things I loved about this book。 Reading about this time period and having fiction wrapped into but also has some historical references makes it all the better。
smalltownbookmom
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A really moving story about twin sisters torn apart when the Berlin wall goes up trapping one on the East side while the rest of her family is in the West。 Karin and Jutta are close but when Karin gets stuck alone in Soviet controlled Berlin she finds love and comfort with Otto。 Devastated that her sister is trapped in the East， Jutta risks everything to sneak under the wall through a hidden passage。 Though she tries to get her sister to come back with her Karin is forced to chose between the ma A really moving story about twin sisters torn apart when the Berlin wall goes up trapping one on the East side while the rest of her family is in the West。 Karin and Jutta are close but when Karin gets stuck alone in Soviet controlled Berlin she finds love and comfort with Otto。 Devastated that her sister is trapped in the East， Jutta risks everything to sneak under the wall through a hidden passage。 Though she tries to get her sister to come back with her Karin is forced to chose between the man she loves and the family she's always known。 Told from both sister's perspectives， I really enjoyed how well the author showed what life was like on each side of the wall and that not everyone wanted to escape。 A great historical fiction book about a period I didn't know a lot about。 Highly recommended and great on audio with a different narrator for each sister's first person perspective and a bonus author's note and interview included at the end。 。。。more
Linda Cousens
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This is an interesting story。。。 after two World Wars， how did the Berlin Wall ever happen？Twin sisters， Jutta and Karin， are separated by the Wall after a medical emergency lands Karin in a hospital in East Berlin。 The Wall goes up overnight。 Now the whole family lives in West Berlin and Karin is behing the Wall in East Berlin。 How will she get back to her family？The book is well researched， but a bit repetitive。
Tracy Ottum
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This book started very slow to the point I almost quit reading it。 I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did。 The writer did a great job of tying the "slow" beginning into the book so that once it got going I was able to understand why it need to be "slow" to begin with。 The way the characters are portrayed throughout was fantastic and made you feel as if you were part of the story。 This was a new part of history for me as I have never really considered the Berlin Wall being I was so young when it c This book started very slow to the point I almost quit reading it。 I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did。 The writer did a great job of tying the "slow" beginning into the book so that once it got going I was able to understand why it need to be "slow" to begin with。 The way the characters are portrayed throughout was fantastic and made you feel as if you were part of the story。 This was a new part of history for me as I have never really considered the Berlin Wall being I was so young when it came down and it wasn't something I learned about much in school。 I found it very interesting and was glad how well it was able to describe the differences on each side。 Definitely would recommend this book to others！ 。。。more
Jacquie
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3 stars， rounded up from 2。5Having read the first three Mandy Robotham books， I was looking forward to her newest novel。 I was disappointed。 The first third of the book moved SO slowly that I almost gave up。 The back and forth between the twins didn’t give the reader the opportunity to really get to know either one。 Then the “discovery“ that allowed them to visit didn’t work for me。 It didn’t seem plausible that it could continue for so long。 Then after the slow first third of the book， the next 3 stars， rounded up from 2。5Having read the first three Mandy Robotham books， I was looking forward to her newest novel。 I was disappointed。 The first third of the book moved SO slowly that I almost gave up。 The back and forth between the twins didn’t give the reader the opportunity to really get to know either one。 Then the “discovery“ that allowed them to visit didn’t work for me。 It didn’t seem plausible that it could continue for so long。 Then after the slow first third of the book， the next third picks up the pace and the final third roars to an abrupt end， leaving so many questions and no pages， I guess， for the author to address them， except in the Epilogue of 26 years later where the loose end are gathered up and sorted out for the reader。 It’s certainly a fascinating time in history and the author obviously attempted to regale us with her research into the era。 However， the novel just didn’t work for me。 。。。more
Laura
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I enjoyed this ebook， particularly its plot which is based around the historical past events during that led to the divid within a country by its leaders。 The story is told from the perspective of the people who loved during this time and their experiences to waking up one morning to find a wall dividing their city。 In the case of the main characters， it involves two sisters who become split apart due to one of them receiving hospital treatment in one area and the other being home in the opposit I enjoyed this ebook， particularly its plot which is based around the historical past events during that led to the divid within a country by its leaders。 The story is told from the perspective of the people who loved during this time and their experiences to waking up one morning to find a wall dividing their city。 In the case of the main characters， it involves two sisters who become split apart due to one of them receiving hospital treatment in one area and the other being home in the opposite area。 I think the author has done a fab job with their research for this story as I found I was able to really get a feel for the characters and it was almost like I was able to picture myself as though I was there， feeling their emotions， torment and confusion， this new obstacle in their lives has created during such an awful time。 This is definitely a read for those who enjoy historical fiction。 I don’t usually go for historical fiction myself but I do have a interest in world war 2 and events surrounding it， so in this case， I couldn’t resist and I wasn’t disappointed！I received an advanced copy of this ebook to read and review。 Thank you NetGalley， the author and publisher for allowing me this opportunity 。。。more
Lorraine
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I liked this book。 Good story
Gina Schwartz
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A satisfying read。
Denice
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This is the first book I've read by Mandy Robotham and I know it will not be the last。 The Girl Behind the wall is such a page turner and pulled me into the story from the first couple of pages。 The storyline is one that I like。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who want to read a book in the WWII time period and a page turner。I received this complimentary copy from the publisher and author for a honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone。 This is the first book I've read by Mandy Robotham and I know it will not be the last。 The Girl Behind the wall is such a page turner and pulled me into the story from the first couple of pages。 The storyline is one that I like。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who want to read a book in the WWII time period and a page turner。I received this complimentary copy from the publisher and author for a honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone。 。。。more
MMB Book Blog
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When the Berlin Wall goes up literally overnight， twins Karin and Jutta are separated。 After falling ill the day before， Karin wakes up in hospital on the eastern side of the city， with Jutta and the rest of her family at home in the west。 Trapped under Soviet rule， Karin has to learn to adapt and survive in East Berlin with no way back to her beloved family。 Unable to contact Karin， Jutta tries everything in her power to contact to her beloved sister。 For years the sisters live parallel lives o When the Berlin Wall goes up literally overnight， twins Karin and Jutta are separated。 After falling ill the day before， Karin wakes up in hospital on the eastern side of the city， with Jutta and the rest of her family at home in the west。 Trapped under Soviet rule， Karin has to learn to adapt and survive in East Berlin with no way back to her beloved family。 Unable to contact Karin， Jutta tries everything in her power to contact to her beloved sister。 For years the sisters live parallel lives on opposite sides of the wall。 Karin finds love with Otto， and finally finds hope and a semblance of happiness。 When Jutta finds a hidden way through the wall the sisters are delighted to be reunited。 However with Soviet spies everywhere， Karin needs to make a decision。 Should she flee to the west and be with her family， or sacrifice all she knows to be with the man she loves？The book is clearly well researched and while it is a fictional story， it's set against the backdrop of real life events。 I found the political aspects fascinating and I can only imagine the devastation the wall created for those living in Berlin。You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog。com/the-girl-behi。。。The story is told from both Karin and Jutta's perspectives with each chapter dedicated to each twin's experience。 I felt this was really well done and emphasised the stark contrast of living on either side of the wall。 I loved the relationship between Karin and Jutta and how they they may be separated by the wall yet still bound by familial love and loyalty。 I did find the story a little slow in the middle but it did pick back up again towards the end。 I'll definitely be looking out for more books by Mandy Robotham。 。。。more
RoshReviews
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Have you ever wondered why The Berlin Wall was called by the name of the city and not something like the German Wall or The Great Wall of Germany？ Simple。 It didn’t surround a country but slashed right through a city。 And when a city is divided， it is more than just geography that is affected。 This book is a historical fiction centred around the Berlin Wall and the lives upended because of its abrupt construction in 1961。 An intriguing premise for sure。 I’ve read a lot of this genre but I’ve nev Have you ever wondered why The Berlin Wall was called by the name of the city and not something like the German Wall or The Great Wall of Germany？ Simple。 It didn’t surround a country but slashed right through a city。 And when a city is divided， it is more than just geography that is affected。 This book is a historical fiction centred around the Berlin Wall and the lives upended because of its abrupt construction in 1961。 An intriguing premise for sure。 I’ve read a lot of this genre but I’ve never read a book covering this particular historical timeline。 The book delivers on some points and disappoints on some more。 Here’s what you need to know。Story: Jutta and Karin Voight， twenty four year old twins and citizens of West Berlin， are extremely close to each other。 Jutta is the practical one， working in a library。 Karin is the creative one， interested in fashion design。 When the Berlin Wall comes up almost overnight without any warning to the residents， Karin ends up stuck on the East side of the wall。 What follows is Jutta’s struggle to get her twin back， and Karin’s struggle to stay safe， and even stay alive， on the unknown side of her city。 The story covers the time period from 1961 to 1963， with a brief epilogue set in 1989， the year the Wall came down。 What I enjoyed:✔ Everything to do with the Berlin wall and its impact。 As something that is much in the past， I had no idea of the political machinations behind the wall。 The book reveals the facts painstakingly and you actually feel the pain and confusion of the citizens on both sides of the divide。✔ The main characters seemed quite believable。 Both Jutta and Karin come across as human rather than these perfect girls who can do no wrong。 It makes them seem approachable， vulnerable and hence likeable。 I did like getting the story from both their perspectives。✔ The romantic arcs with Danny and Otto are well-written。 ✔ While this is my first book by Mandy Robotham， I was impressed by her attention to historical detail。 What could have been better: ❌ I found the chapter names distracting。 I would have preferred plain chapter numbers for such a story。 The chapter names made me feel like I was reading a children’s book with the title revealing what’s going to happen in that particular section。 This is even more irritating when the chapters are so short。❌ The writing style could have been better。 The story moves ahead very slowly。 There is a lot of repetition in the content and this turned an interesting story into a mundane one。 Karin’s thoughts especially seem to go around in circles and it gets boring after a point。 ❌ Many of the secondary characters （barring Otto and Danny） aren’t developed well。 （The action remains adamantly concentrated on the twin sisters。） So the rest of the characters fall flat。❌ Some part of the content is farfetched。 I find it very difficult to justify impractical writing in historical fiction。 （view spoiler）[👉 It is tough to accept that Jutta jumped the wall so many times and yet wasn’t caught until the very end。 👉 How come no one except Jutta used the wall opening？ Axel knew that Jutta was using the wall but he （or anyone from his group） could have easily followed her to know where it was and begin using it without even telling her。 👉 I could understand why Karin kept her family secret from Otto but it is never made clear why Jutta never revealed the details of her struggles to Danny。 👉 Both the sisters knew that their connection to each other had to be kept a secret。 Yet they keep visiting the same two cafes every time， albeit separately。 Doesn’t this increase the chance of people recognising them as two separate persons？（hide spoiler）]All in all， I did like this book， but not as much as I had expected。 The historical part of the content gets a 5/5， and I would love to read more books that have the Berlin Wall as their focal point。 But the editing of the book ought to have been tighter for the story to make a greater impact。 A 3。5 from me， rounding up to 4。 Thank you， NetGalley and Avon Books UK， for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review。***********************Join me on the Facebook group， Readers Forever！， for more reviews， book-related discussions and fun。 。。。more
Cj Reads Reviews
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The Girl Behind The Wall is based loosely on the real life events of the rise of Berlin Wall from in early 1960s。 It follows the fictional lives of twin sisters Jutta and Karin。 Who both get separated from each other。Having no contact from each other except for the odd message or letter， the women lead different lives。 But when Jutta finds a hidden way into the wall， can she get Karin back to the other side safely or has Karin enjoyed her life on the other side？The Girl Behind The Wall， focuses The Girl Behind The Wall is based loosely on the real life events of the rise of Berlin Wall from in early 1960s。 It follows the fictional lives of twin sisters Jutta and Karin。 Who both get separated from each other。Having no contact from each other except for the odd message or letter， the women lead different lives。 But when Jutta finds a hidden way into the wall， can she get Karin back to the other side safely or has Karin enjoyed her life on the other side？The Girl Behind The Wall， focuses on the impact the wall had on family， friends as well as the community of Berlin living on both sides of the wall。 I like that Mandy included the structure of the wall and how it began with fencing then later on a solid concrete wall。 It was well researched in the historical department and I eventually looked up pictures of the wall and where it was built around Berlin。 Thank you to Netgalley， Avon Books for the gifting of the eARC and to Mandy Robotham for a fictional insight to the Berlin Wall。 。。。more
Robin Neave
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An ok read but not really for me。 At times implausible， predictable and I found it difficult to emphasise with any of the characters。 I actually stopped reading at one point which is a sure sign I’m not invested in it。 On the positive side， it made me consider the reality of the wall and the effort it had on families。
Kristen
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I could not put this book down。 It’s not only a great story about relationships and unbreakable bonds but also a fantastic look into history。 A great， compelling story that I’ll definitely read again。 I received this book as an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway。
Lanna Andersen
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I was sucked into this story immediately！ Twin sisters that have spent every day of their lives together in Western Berlin are suddenly separated when the Berlin Wall is put up almost overnight。 Instead of living out the dreams they’ve planned together， they must learn how to live apart even while the East German Stasi is breathing down their necks。I loved the back and forth between Karin and Jutta’s stories。 It served to highlight the differences between life in the East and the West， which I h I was sucked into this story immediately！ Twin sisters that have spent every day of their lives together in Western Berlin are suddenly separated when the Berlin Wall is put up almost overnight。 Instead of living out the dreams they’ve planned together， they must learn how to live apart even while the East German Stasi is breathing down their necks。I loved the back and forth between Karin and Jutta’s stories。 It served to highlight the differences between life in the East and the West， which I hadn’t known before。 I found myself wanting to stop and google things I was reading to get a better understanding and picture in my mind’s eye。I didn’t always know which characters were “good” or “bad” and was often skeptical， nor was I able to predict the decisions characters would make – both of which made me want to keep turning pages。As far as pacing goes， I find that some historical fiction never really gets off the ground， but Robotham brought this story to a crescendo and then tied up my questions and loose ends at the end of the book。Somehow， I kept forgetting that this took place in the 1960s。 Surely something so devastating would have been decades or centuries past。 I am thankful to Mandy Robotham for giving us this story and a much-needed slice of history。 This was my first book by Robotham， and I’m excited to read more！I would recommend this book for fans of Pam Jenoff， Kristin Harmel， and Jennifer Robson。 。。。more
Mel （CrazyforBooksandCoffee）
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A story of 2 sisters on opposite sides of the wall。 Historical fiction is a genre pretty new to me。 I loved this the story between the characters is heartbreaking。 I am shocked at the impact the wall had I had no idea。 I don't have a lot of knowledge but this book seems so well researched and beautifully written A story of 2 sisters on opposite sides of the wall。 Historical fiction is a genre pretty new to me。 I loved this the story between the characters is heartbreaking。 I am shocked at the impact the wall had I had no idea。 I don't have a lot of knowledge but this book seems so well researched and beautifully written 。。。more
Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller
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I really enjoyed this。 The tale of twins who are separated forever overnight when the Berlin Wall goes up whilst Karin， who works in East Berlin， is admitted to hospital there with appendicitis and is unable to return to the West。 Her sister Jutta， finds a way through the wall to meet with her and to try to bring her home， but Karin has reasons to stay。This book was very tense。 Admittedly it stretched my credulity on a couple of occasions but the author did a brilliant job of highlighting the in I really enjoyed this。 The tale of twins who are separated forever overnight when the Berlin Wall goes up whilst Karin， who works in East Berlin， is admitted to hospital there with appendicitis and is unable to return to the West。 Her sister Jutta， finds a way through the wall to meet with her and to try to bring her home， but Karin has reasons to stay。This book was very tense。 Admittedly it stretched my credulity on a couple of occasions but the author did a brilliant job of highlighting the inflexibility of this regime， as well as the pettiness and cruelty of the Stasi。 In some ways it seems incredible that this is recent history。 The wall going up overnight and the differences between two halves of the same city are well described， as is the sense of being watched all the time。Read with the Pigeonhole。 I really liked this。 。。。more
Helen
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‘The tourists come and go， they look and peer over the Wall to another land， at people who squint their eyes back at the West。 They comment on the atrocity and they go away again。 But still there are no bulldozers， no widespread will to tear it down。 The Wall endures。’You really cannot surpass Mandy’s books for quality WWII fiction stories。 I truly loved this one for shining a light on the post Cold War situation - something I was not overly familiar with。 Through cleverly telling a story from t ‘The tourists come and go， they look and peer over the Wall to another land， at people who squint their eyes back at the West。 They comment on the atrocity and they go away again。 But still there are no bulldozers， no widespread will to tear it down。 The Wall endures。’You really cannot surpass Mandy’s books for quality WWII fiction stories。 I truly loved this one for shining a light on the post Cold War situation - something I was not overly familiar with。 Through cleverly telling a story from twins who perchance find themselves separated by the construction of the Berlin Wall， you get a first person account of what life must have been like to wake and find your city being split in two。 This proved an emotional read exploring family and political divisions， sibling and romantic love。 ‘So the Wall is not a ‘protection barrier’， but a steely way of stitching up a heavily bleeding wound。 For good。’I grew up watching the Olympic Games with East and West German teams and was in fact in Europe around the time of the Wall coming down。 Today， we would find it extraordinary to have a major city torn in two， with divides being political， social and very emotional。 Two polar opposite ways of governing but a simple stone throw apart and to have loved ones separated by such a structure would be pure heartache。 I think Mandy captures so much of these themes wonderfully well。 ‘Her sister， her soulmate， is barely a few kilometres away， and yet it might as well be a million miles， at the end of a rainbow。’It was thought provoking to consider that this wall basically went up overnight， where previously， movement between the two zones had been permitted。 The use of twins was a stroke of genius as it perfectly encapsulates the divide between East and West。 I was there with Jutta crawling through the wall and standing beside Karen as she looked over her shoulder fearing life under Communist rule。 ‘But the world isn’t thinking straight right now， is it？ As the Wall climbs higher， life as they know it comes crashing down。’It is clear the depth of research Mandy has undertaken on all bases concerning facts surrounding not only the politics of the day but the human side of this major world event。 Any book that has you racing to Google places and events has done a great job。 Tying it all together with characters you come to care about and a plot that has you on the edge of your seat， is a historical fiction reader's heaven。‘She balances the scales in her head， weighing the risk against Karin’s need and Mama’s elation。 In every calculation， Jutta’s own sacrifice is outweighed by her family’s continuing loss。’Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book。 I have read and adored all your books and cannot recommend them highly enough。 For a realistic， well written tale of what life in Berlin during the years of the Wall would have been like， look no further than， ‘The Girl Behind the Wall’。 “… until August 1961， you lived with your twin sister Karin in said residence。 Until， in fact， the day when the anti-fascist protection barrier was erected。”The Wall。 If we’re being honest， call it the fucking Wall。This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 The quoted material may have changed in the final release。 。。。more
Eilidh Wilson
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Loved this bookIntrigued by this period of history。 Didn't disappoint。 Holiday read that I was desperate to get back to between activities。 Would highly recommend Loved this bookIntrigued by this period of history。 Didn't disappoint。 Holiday read that I was desperate to get back to between activities。 Would highly recommend 。。。more
Laura Hamilton
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A very descriptive and atmospheric story about life for two identical twin sisters who were divided by the creation of the Berlin wall due to a twist of fate。 Karin， took ill with appendicitis whilst visiting friends in East Berlin。 This is the story of her sister Jutta and her attempts to get Karin back to West Berlin， whilst under constant threat of the Stasi。Will Karin agree to follow her back to West Berlin or will Karin's love for Otto make her stay？This was so well described， you felt for A very descriptive and atmospheric story about life for two identical twin sisters who were divided by the creation of the Berlin wall due to a twist of fate。 Karin， took ill with appendicitis whilst visiting friends in East Berlin。 This is the story of her sister Jutta and her attempts to get Karin back to West Berlin， whilst under constant threat of the Stasi。Will Karin agree to follow her back to West Berlin or will Karin's love for Otto make her stay？This was so well described， you felt for each sister in their individual agony and were rooting for them to succeed。 It definitely evoked the fear that was felt for the Stasi。Thanks to the Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this thought provoking story。 。。。more
Sherrie74
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