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.

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, complicated family drama, family secrets, suspense, Germany, Berlin Wall, Washington D.C.

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My Summary of The Berlin Letters:

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for The Berlin Letters. Thanks @AustenProsePR #NetGalley @HarperMuseBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheBerlinLetters upon my request. All opinions are my own.

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.

My Thoughts:

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

Histfic With Sides of Reconciliation and Suspense/Thriller

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?

Some favorite histfil/thrillers include The Nature of Fragile Things, The Girl From Guernica, and The Rose Code.

Non WWII

For those who are burned out on 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?

Dual Perspectives

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.

Well-Researched

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, coding, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a family caught in the political turmoil.

Recommending The Berlin Letters

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! Book Clubs will find a great deal to discuss here.

Content Consideration: grief

You might enjoy this thoughtful interview with Katherine Reay on the Thoughts From a Page Podcast.

My Rating:  5  Stars

Meet the Author of The Berlin Letters, Katherine Reay

Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels and one work of nonfiction.

For her fiction, Katherine writes love letters to books, and her novels are saturated with what she calls the “world of books.” They are character driven stories that examine the past as a way to find one’s best way forward. In the words of The Bronte Plot’s Lucy Alling, Katherine writes of “that time when you don’t know where you’ll be, but you can’t stay as you are.”

Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and after several moves across the globe, lives outside Chicago.

Please visit Katherine on social media, on FB at Katherinereaybooks, Instagram @katherinereay, or visit her website at http://www.katherinereay.com

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QOTD:

Is this histic/thriller on your TBR?

Related: You might also enjoy The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay (women’s contemporary “friendship” fiction)

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