But there is one question on everyone’s lips familiar to Germans, both East and West: After two World wars lost and a city in ruins, how was this ever allowed to happen?

It’s a very interesting question.

Karin and Jutta are twin sisters. They never dreamed they would be separated, but a medical emergency forces Karin to go to a hospital in East Germany. Overnight a wall goes up and no one is permitted to cross. Jutta is desperate to find a way to bring her sister home and Karin wants to get home to the West, but there are many obstacles including some unexpected life altering ones.

It’s a story of perseverance, of love, of the Berlin Wall and its ramifications. It was well researched, Unfortunately, it is a slow, slow burn and repetitive. The characters just weren’t all that interesting either. For those reasons, I can only give this 2.5 stars rounded to 3. It’s unfortunate as I really like Mandy Robotham’s books generally.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was excellent, not at all what I expected! This topic was well researched. I have taken classes and read numerous non-fiction titles that shed light on the building of wall. Families were separated during the night. It is hard to believe that could happen. This book tells the story of twins that ended up on opposite sides of the wall, and the struggle to reunite. I would highly recommend this book for a book club, as it would lead to a great discussion.

After reading The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham, I have always wanted to read her books and was excited when I got the privilege to get an ARC copy of The Girl Behind the Wall.

The story is set during the early 1960's, the year when Iron Curtain was formed and Berlin Wall built, dividing East and West Berlin, separating the loved ones. That's what happened to Jutta and Karin, the identical twin sisters. Karin goes to East Berlin side to the hospital and on the same fateful day when East and West Berlin were divided. In the midst of political drama, Jutta who lives in a free spirited life in West Berlin was determined to bring Karin back home. Karin meanwhile tries settling down in East Berlin, adapting to the harsh communism rule and then falling in love with an architect. Jutta through a tunnel she comes across risks her life to meet Karin on the other side and the two sisters see each other through that secret tunnel, until the wall will divide them for good.

Normally, Mandy Robotham's books are based on WWII with Nazi Germany background, this book was quiet different--set when the whole world watched the Iron Curtain being built and the power between capitalists and communists, the year when Berlin Wall was built that would separate the East and West. The sisters, particularly Jutta's courage and willingness to bring her sister back to the West was powerful, overwhelming as she knows the consequences of what will happen to her own life if she was discovered. The author has done tremendous research during that period, in both West Berlin, where life is nothing but freedom and luxury and East Berlin, where many lived in fear and also in poverty so the reader could get a glimpse of what the life really like in West and East Berlin. The first part of the story was a bit slow and boring but the story gained momentum towards the middle when Jutta discovers a secret path that will help her to get to East Berlin to meet her sister, Karin. I was kept on the edge of the seat as I was worried if Jutta will get caught. Though the characters in the book was fictional, as I did a part of this Berlin Wall for my history lessons, I know how countless lives have been lost while crossing the wall to the other side--the East Berliners to the West Berliners and the fear and the bravery to do so was so realistic and overwhelming--which I applaud, the author did a good job of making the story as realistic as possible. The story starts with 1961 with the building of the wall, through 1963 when the wall was firmly built separating the twins forever and ends with 1989 with the Berlin Wall demolished--the momentous moment in history. I really like the characters particularly Jutta as she has become one of my favorite characters.

Overall, the story is touching, heartbreaking and emotional. Mandy Robotham did a very good job with this book and as this is the second book I have read from this author, I cannot wait to read more books from this author! Worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon publishers for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set at the ti.me of the Berlin Wall. This was my third novel by this author and she did not disappoint with the !even if historical details or the pull on my heartstrings. Jutta and Karins divide fromeach other s by the overnight Wall was well written. The thoughts and feelings of those from the West and East shone through these characters. Well done!!!

Berlin in 1961. Jutta Voigt stays at her home in West Berlin while her twin sister Karin goes out in East Berlin. At the time, it is normal to cross into the GDR and back. Except it’s 12th August and everything is about to change overnight.
It’s the night the wall goes up. Unforeseen by the residents and Western authorities, in the early hours of the morning of 13 August, of barb wire are put in place and crossings closed. Jutta watches it happen from the West, but her sister was taken into hospital that night, and is stuck on the Eastern side.
For a long time, there is no way out and no way to contact each other. By the time the twins find their way back to each other, Karin has started a life in the oppressed East. She fears what might happen if she got caught trying to sneak out. And then there’s Otto, the East Berliner she has met and fallen for.

This book has been very interesting for me. First of all, because I don't usually like Historial Fiction but this seems recent enough to grab me. Also, it was fascinating to me to find out more about the actual night it all happened and how life was for Berliners. I grew up in Germany and a lot of this was never taught. We were taught about the wall, but little about the time before, or how suddenly it was built.
But the book stuck with me so much I discussed it with my dad and not only is he now waiting to read it once it comes out, but for the first time in my life we spoke about his memories of the wall and how he grew up accepting the wall would never fall.

Some small details disappointed me, such as the two long time jumps in the story-telling (though dad tried to explain to me the second one was due to people really just having accepted their fate, nothing more to report) and a lack of the mother's perspective in what is essentially a family drama.
Overall though, I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it and how much the time period interested me.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This story is set in Berlin, Germany just as the Berlin Wall was put into place. The story focuses on an extended family with a set of twins, Jutta who’s with the family at home on the West Berlin side and Karin who’s in hospital in East Berlin. The book kept me hooked to see if Karin would return home or if her family would be able to visit her in the east? If you like historical fiction this would be a great novel for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. I couldn’t wait to read this book and I couldn’t wait to just make it stop. This is not historical fiction aside from a few dates. It is the story of Karin stuck behind the wall and Jutta finding a way to repeatedly get across the border as the reader is confronted with the same drama line over and over. This is an anything for love story. Communist East Germany was brutal to anyone trying to cross illegally in either direction. The Stasi government had informants everywhere. Karin’s relatively comfortable new life and Jutta’s efforts to bring her sister back across the wall would never have been possible as written.

Germany suffered through two world wars, caused immeasurable loss of life and watched as Russia decided to build a wall across Berlin. I have little sympathy for German suffering, particularly during and after WWII, but to focus on one woman’s choice to remain in the GDR with absolutely no mention of the Holocaust and Germany’s part is cold and very short sighted.

This book talks about how the Berlin wall rips apart twins. Each one stuck on either side of the wall. She alternates between each twins narrative which helps the reader connect with the anguish that each twin endures and one can see just how different life is on either side of the wall. At the end of the day, each must make their own decisions. The choices however aren't easy and the sacrifices are great. It was a really great read, I was putting myself in each of the twins place and thinking of the choices I would make. This book will stay with me for a long time to come. I definitely recommend this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book and the storyline. I learned so much about the history of the Berlin Wall and the lives of those at that time

What a truly gripping read!
I didn't want to stop reading, I was mesmerised with the story line and each chapter drew me closer to Jutta and Karin. I think that my heart stopped a few times and my pulse quickened after each safe trip through the "Rabbit Hole"
Thank you for the experience of reading this book. I would highly reccomend!

1961. Karin and Jutta are twin sisters and become separated overnight when the Berlin Wall is erected and Karin finds herself on the wrong side of the Wall...

I enjoyed this historical fiction not set during WW2 for a change. Given that I hadn't read much about the Berlin Wall since my school years during German class, I was reminded of the disastrous consequences it had on families. It's hard to even imagine what it must have felt like, to be "sheared apart by an ugly canker, so that heartless men can score points over each other". For nearly 30 years...

The two main female characters are ingenious, smart and resourful and will win your heart very quickly. It's a bit of a slow burner and the last 100 pages definitely make up for it and even though the romance was a bit cliché, it was cute and it just goes to show that "you can't control people's thoughts. What goes on in their heads. Or their hearts".

An enjoyable and informative read.
3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to @Netgalley and @HarperCollinsUK for this ARC in return for my honest review.
Out in e-book July 5th and paperback in September.

Wow, what a story of resilience and fortitude during the rising and duration of the Berlin Wall. Mandy Robotham weaves a story of twin sisters and their dedication to see each other while a wall divides them. I would highly recommend the book, The Girl Behind the Wall. #netgalley

I couldn’t put this book down. Maybe I related to it so well because I remember the wall going up and people desperately trying to flee. I also remember when the wall came down. This book is well researched and presents a heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of the families separated by the wall. Keep the tissues handy because you might need them. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A good read, I was already a fan of the author and this book definitely confirmed that. A little known era looked into to a great read.

*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley and Avon Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Behind The Wall is the newest novel from the internationally bestselling WWII historical fiction author, Mandy Robotham. Mandy Robotham is known for titles such as The German Midwife or also known as A Woman of War, The Secret Messenger (which is my favourite) and The Berlin Girl. The Girl Behind The Wall is different from Mandy's other books since it takes place during the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was erected overnight.

No one expected a wall, no one expected a divide, but one morning everything changed. On the morning of 13th August 1961, Berlin was divided by barbed wire soon transforming into a Wall, creating a divide between East and West Berlin, forever changing the lives of twins Jutta and Karin Voight. Jutta woke on the West side in her bedroom and Karin woke on the East in a hospital bed. Being hastily admitted to the hospital for a medical procedure, Karin was unaware of the Wall and had no idea that she won't be able to go back home.

As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.

With numerous applications denied to go to the East, Jutta is forced to accept that she will never see Karin again. With the help of her nephew Hugo, who works as a junior reporter, she is able to get a message across the Wall to Karin at the hospital, but soon the situation escalates and all communication between the East and West is cut, leaving the twins in distress. Realising the Wall is there to stay, Karin is forced to create a life for herself in the East, with the help of Dr. Simms. Abandoning her dreams of fashion, she ends up working in the Charité hospital and meets Otto Kruger, whom she falls in love with. If she had a choice to go back to the West, to Jutta and her family, would she go?

Meanwhile, in the West Jutta is trying her best to find a way to bring Karin back, focusing on the thread between them, but slowly losing hope as there is no way of knowing if Karin is safe, if she is alive. One day Jutta stumbles upon access to the East side. If she gets caught crossing to the East, the consequences will be terrible, but Jutta knows it's worth the risk if there is a possibility to find Karin and bring her back. While contemplating on how to get Karin back to the West, Jutta meets Danny Strachan and falls in love. Love complicates everything and Jutta and Karin tries to find a way to make everything work.

The pace of the story felt a bit slow but I still enjoyed the story. I liked both sisters and I found the effects the Berlin Wall had on the East and West sides interesting. I'm not familiar with the Berlin Wall, so this book encouraged me to do some research. It's heartbreaking that families were subjected to such a level of divide and having no control over it. Jutta and Karin, even though they're fictional, represent countless families who had to endure separation. Mandy was able to capture the fear and uncertainty families experienced on both sides of the Wall. The book is divided into four parts, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1989. I enjoyed the short chapters and the ending brought loose ties together, the reader isn't left with any unanswered questions.

Mandy Robotham is an amazing writer and once again she was able to take a historical moment and make it come to life. If you love historical fiction, I recommend that you read this book.

This is a historical story. It is about a set of twin girls that are divided. One in East Germany and one in West Germany. One is left in East Germany when she suffers an acute case of appendicitis and is taken to the hospital there. The other twin girl lives in West Germany with her mother, aunt, uncle and cousin. When the Iron Curtain is raised the sisters are divided.
A heartbreaking story of love, hope, courage and family.
Awesome read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and author Mandy Robotham for the advanced copy of the book

A very well-crafted book. Well-written account of the construction of the Berlin wall. I couldn't imagine just what these people went through. Harrowing in some cases.

What an amazing story of sisterly love and bravery during the Cold War! The plot focuses on the plight of Germans divided by the Wall, erected by the Soviets in order to keep the two parts of Berlin as far away from each other as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Jutta is waken by commotion outside only to find that a wall is being erected between East and West Berlin. The problem is her twin sister is on the other side of the wall due to emergency appendectomy. Overnight she has lost her connection to her twin. Karin wakes up from surgery and has no idea why her twin isn't by her side until the doctor tells her the truth. What will these twins do to find each other? I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so very good!!! #thegirlbehindthewall #mandyrobotham #july2021

Mandy Robotham is renowned for her poignant historical fiction and ‘The Girl Behind the Wall’ is another good read, this time a novel based on the times during the Berlin Wall and it’s consequences for the Berlin people living either side of it...as the wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.
I enjoyed the story, it’s a captivating tale full of history, bravery, loss, decisions and a dash of romance but at times it did drag on a bit, however, I would still happily recommend.
Finally, I agree with the author’s sentiments ‘there is one question more than any on everyone’s lips familiar with Germans both East and West: after two world wars lost and a city in ruins, how was the Berlin Wall allowed to happen?’
Big thanks to Mandy Robotham, Avon/HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.