Ewa Dodd's debut novel kept me on the edge of my seat at all times!
I was a bit afraid that she would leave it with an open ending, but I was so relieved when she tied up all the ties in the end and I got the ending I was hoping for.
The Walls Came Down got me trying to guess the plot since its very beginning, and I feel I was as obsessed as Joana about finding her missing twin brother.
At first I was a bit confused with Tom. I thought that maybe he was the kidnapper? But then I realized he was the twins' dad and I thought that maybe he stole his own son to build a life with his new woman. Turns out I was wrong with both ideas! But the burden that man carried was so heavy. I understand why he was so fearful and angry all the time.
I loved the fact that Monika, in her advanced dementia, managed to recognize Adam after all those years; and I was so happy that Joana found someone who would support her no mater what, instead of treating her as a crazy woman.
All in all, I LOVED THIS BOOK! And I can't wait to read more novels by this author.

Wow what a book!

A powerful and moving story of childhood loss and identity.

This stunning debut by Ewa Dodd grips you straight away with its fully formed characters who you grow to really care for as the story progresses. The author also handles very effectively the narrative moving back and forth from Communist Poland to the present day.

As previous readers have said, it is difficult to put down and moves along at just the right pace to keep the tension, whilst also satisfying the reader with sufficient detail. I highly recommend this for any reader who is looking for a moving story of family and belonging as well as a sense of recent Polish history.

The best book I’ve read this year so far!

During one of the big Polish Solidarity protests in 1988 in Warsaw, little 4-year old Adam has suddenly disappeard from near his mother and sister. His case was never clarified by the Polish authorities although two decades later his sister, a journalist at a big local newspaper now, never gave up finding him. Adam's disappearance destroyed their mother for ever, as she ended up in an institution for persons with mental disabilities.

Meanwhile, in London, Matt is unsuccessfully trying to dig dip into the history of his mysterious adoption. During a weekend trip to Warsaw with his girlfriend strange memories are coming back, and he is shocked by the discovery. It will take a long, dramatic journey to find out the real story of his upbringing.

In Chicago, Tom is dying and is eaten up by a secret he never shared: his escape from Poland after faking his death in a mining accident. Although he did pretty well financially, his life is empty, especially thinking about the family he left behind in Warsaw.

There are walls to be broken and each of the characters has his or her own walls to tear. The knitting of their stories and the happy ending of the three of them coming together has some surprising twists keeping the reader interested in the follow up. Particularly Tom's story is the most unexpected one, an it takes some time to figure out his role into the narrative.

What I've personally found a bit artificial was the construction of the memoriy flow in the case of Matt. First, how he was struck by the memories during his visit to Poland, and thereafter, as he progressively got back fragments of his past. It is like his memory is activated automatically every time a specific trigger is present which is a good wishful thinking but it doesn't work this way in reality. A more detailed memory mechanism would have clearly added more depth and psychological complexity to the novel.

The political Polish context, during the Solidarity protests and in the post-Communist era is interestingly reconstructed, with the nostalgic tendencies and deep feelings of disappointment towards the current social and economic situation.

The Walls Came Down by Ewa Dodd is an interesting novel with a stand alone subject which captivates. The writing flows and the stories within the story make sense, although, at least in the end, I felt like the pace is too fast forward, jumping too high through events to reach the final conclusion.

The writer did an amazing job of connecting three very different characters from different parts of the world via their struggles as they deal with the emotions of something or someone missing from their lives. The writing was engrossing and kept me invested in all 3 characters' journeys.

I was immediately attracted by the cover of this book and the summary. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

This book tells the story of a boy who disappeared during a workers' strike in the 80s, a journalist looking for his brother for quite some time, a financier in London suffers from anxiety attacks and during that time in Chicago a man in a retirement home is about to die. Why are these people related?

A captivating, moving and engaging story, I loved the writing style, the fluidity of the chapters. I recommend it.

This was meant to be a relaxing vacation from a dense science book and absolutely did the trick. Women’s fiction in the description almost scared me off, but this was perfectly estrogen balanced, actually. In fact, only one out of three narrative threads is female. And the sum of these threads tells a story of a family, torn apart by tragic circumstances and selfish choices. Set across three locations on two continents, the story starts with a young boy being kidnapped during the Solidarity strikes in 1988 just as Communism is about to finally surrender to Democracy in Eastern Europe. Needless to say that location makes for the most interesting part of the book and technically nearly qualifies for international reading. Fast forward 22 years to a young man trying to find his identity. Enter all sorts of dramatic ramifications. Not quite a mystery, since the reader pretty much knows what’s going on most of the time or even the entire time, more of a family drama. The overall gentleness of tone and the lachrymose ending kinda make me think of Lifetime movie, but a really well done one. There is no real evil at play here, no sinister plots (in fact likeability all around pretty much) just individual mistakes, sad realities of life. But then it sort of all works out, just to denote that difference between fiction and reality, although not so ludicrously happy as to severely annoy a worldweary reader. Never heard of the author, but she did a good job, aside from a few minor slips into Britishisms when outside of the zone. Also it really should have been titled All That Remains. Pleasant sort of a book, nice, almost cozy in a way…without the usual detractors such fiction tends to possess, mainly inanity. And such a quick read too. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Aurora Metro Books for the eARC.
This book had me in tears, which is highly unusual. It's the best one I've read this year so far...beautiful.
We move seamlessly from Warsaw to London and Chicago, where Joanne, Marty and Tom are all driven by fear, guilt and regret. Their lives are missing someone, something. It takes them through some dark times as they try to find their way to fill the gaping holes in their being, but the journey is crafted so poignantly, so beautifully that you cannot put the book down. As you read, you know where the stories are going to end, but the getting there is what makes the experience so moving and heartfelt. Outstanding, loved it and can't recommend it highly enough. 5+ stars!