I received a free copy from Netgalley. Family and secrets. And secrets never seem to stay secret, but some of these are life and death. Interesting characters and engaging story.

I found this book to be an interesting look at history and what it was like to live in Berlin when the wall went up. I love that the story has dual timelines, one showing the events of a family being torn apart by the Wall, and then in 1989, when the Wall is about to come down. This is a well written, interesting historical novel.

This book had a slow start and I was expecting a whirlwind spy novel with code cracking and intrigue. The more I got into the book, I realized the pace was set in perspective with the seemingly slow moving, grey era. It was slow and steady, culminating in an ending of relief. I did find the ending convenient- the timing of the heroine’s escape connecting with the historic event of the wall coming down. The portion of the book I really appreciated was the history and the author seemed to create the atmosphere of eastern Berlin at the height of their oppression. The reader could feel the dreariness and soul sucking dread of neighbours spying on neighbours and the paranoia of everyone watching you. I remember being a teenager when this historic event occurred and this book took me behind the scenes to add context to those news reports. Despite some of the plot coincidences, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this period of oppression. I loved the author’s note which added context and more history. The whole Pope John Paul II theory is something I’d never heard before but makes so much sense. Chilling read. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely amazing! I'm so glad I read this book. I could hardly put it down at all. My only wish is that there was more! 😍

Katherine Reay's THE BERLIN LETTERS explores the Berlin Wall through multiple narrators and timelines. The prologue sets up the erection of the wall, and we jump between the early 1960s in Berlin and the United States in 1989. How did the family become separated? Which side is everyone on? Who among your friends and neighbors can be trusted? As the book progresses, the details are meted out, culminating in the Wall coming down. 

Reay has a character consider how "no one can hurt you as much as one you love." At its heart, this story is about broken families, secrets, and truth coming to light through coded family letters. Some suspension of disbelief may be warranted towards the climax of the book, but it all makes for a tidy story and brings to life historical events.

The book includes discussion questions, setting this up for a natural book club selection for those who enjoy historical fiction.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

The Berlin Letters is a story about the Voekler family that is torn apart by the cold war and specifically the Berlin wall. The story weaves between the perspective of Luisa in 1980s and her parents in 1960s. It was incrediably deep and heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. I found myself caught up in the characters life. Especially Luisa as she discovers a hard family secret. All the mixed emotions she felt, I could feel it as well. She was determined to do what was needed to be done. I liked learning about secret codes and spying techniques. I could feel the struggle and the bleakness of her parents as they trudged through life behind the Berlin wall. I was alive during the fall of the Berlin wall but was young and don't remember it. Katherine Reay weaved the two stories so well that the pieces fall into place at the end and you sit back and think. wow. that was an incredible journey. Stories like this make history come to life and makes it relatable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I have just entered the world of Cold War historical fiction and this was perhaps the wrong book to start with. The Berlin Letters has made my expectations for other novels at a level that will be very hard to reach. I was enthralled from beginning to end l.

A slow start led to a thrilling conclusion - I was completely hooked once I got about 50 pages in. Told in alternate timelines and perspectives, this is the story of Haris Voelker in East Berlin and his daughter, Luisa in 1989 Washington D.C. It starts with the wall coming up seemingly overnight and Luisa escaping to the US with her grandparents, leaving her father behind. As a grown woman, she works as codebreaker, believing her father dead long ago. Upon finding a secret stash of letters, Luisa discovers that her father is alive and is trapped by the Stasi in an East Berlin prison. What commences is her quest to find out more in an effort to reunite with her father. The other perspective is from Haris, from various points during the 20+ years he is stuck in East Berlin.

Utterly fascinating piece of history and incredibly well paced. Well done!

Thank you to the published and Netgalley for providing me a digital ARC of this title!

I'm loving these Cold War stories Reay is writing. Her first, A Shadow in Moscow, was tremendous and this one is equally good. The story starts with the Berlin Wall being erected ... effectively overnight, firstly with barbed wire (how much of that would have been needed?) and after a few weeks, concrete slabs which had already been made, were shipped in and became the permanent solution.

In exploring the impact of the wall, the Soviet influence, and the Stasi police, Reay uses a family torn in two by the wall's erection. Literally! Monica Voekler's parents and sister have moved to the Western side of Berlin only a few weeks prior. They are 'free' but Monica is devastated and makes an impulsive decision that changes her family's lives.

Most of the story is told by Luisa Voekler, Monica's daughter, who in 1989 is 31 years old working for the CIA in Washington. She stumbles upon letters that her father, Haris, had written to her Opa for over twenty years. These are the 'Berlin letters' of the title. They provide a fascinating firsthand perspective of how the Soviet influence took over East Berlin. Knowing that under this regime every letter will be read before being shipped to its destination, Opa teaches Haris how to write codes in his letters that would pass the scrutiny of the Stasi readers.

What's also interesting is what Luisa's Opa does with the letters and who he passes the information onto in America. Unbeknownst to her Oma, Luisa's Opa has been an American spy since the 1950s. It's fabulous reading especially if you enjoy a good spy story like I do.

The pace of the story keeps you turning pages quickly and I was always keen to get back to reading it at the end of a day. The last hundred pages are enthralling, keeping you on the edge of your seat, as Luisa impulsively visits Berlin. Knowing some of the dates around the Wall, Reay times Luisa's visit perfectly for one of the biggest moments in the Cold War coming to an end.

There's a little bit of romance, and some wonderful flawed characters who bear the consequences of their actions. It's tremendous story telling.

I'm excited for what Reay does next in these Cold War stories.

I feel very fortunate to have received an early ebook copy of the story from Harper Muse via Net Galley. However, this has had no influence on my review.

I need to read more about this period in history. I remember seeing the Berlin Wall coming down on television, but I was only 9 and didn't understand the significance. I just knew that it was "important" and something I should remember. So when I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it.

This was an extremely well-researched story. Luisa Voekler believes her parents to be dead. She was raised by her grandparents, who had emigrated to the United States from Germany. She knew little of their lives before arriving in America. One day, she finds a cache of letters that her grandfather had hidden, and it completely changes the trajectory of her life.

What I liked about this story:

Dual timelines - this nearly always works for me. I enjoyed seeing Luisa's perspective the most, as she is figuring out and breaking the codes in the letters and unearthing her family history. But her father's perspective was also really interesting for the insight into what it was like to live behind the Berlin Wall.

The pacing of this book was perfect - I never got bored or felt like things were getting too bogged down.

The inclusion of the punk scene - I would have loved even more of that. Is there a whole book like that? If so I need it.

What I didn't like:

I didn't feel like I connected with any of the characters. I really wanted to like Luisa, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't quite get there. So there was no emotional connection in what should have been a very emotional story.

There were times, particularly in Haris's chapters, when it felt a bit info-dumpy. The author learned a lot of information and wanted to include it, and you could definitely see that she did a lot of research. But I felt that there were whole pages of just explaining rather than letting me experience it through the characters' eyes.

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay – Fascinating, Compelling, Filled with Intrigue

When I read the description about Katherine Reay’s new book, The Berlin Letters, I wanted to read it. So glad I had the opportunity. It was a great book.

Monica Voekler loved her husband Haris and enjoyed their life together in East Berlin with their daughter Luisa. But she did not share Haris’ appreciation for the GDR government. The day came when the wall went up, guards would not let people pass through to West Berlin, and razor wire deterred citizens trying to escape. That day Monica was desperate and would resort to the unthinkable to ensure her daughter would be safe. She tossed her beloved daughter to her father on the other side of the wall. Their lives changed that day, for Monica and Haris, and for three-year-old Luisa and her Grandparents who later moved to America.

The Berlin Letters is a wonderful read. The novel takes place during the Cold War and spans 28 years, from 1961 to 1989. It tells the story about a family divided and torn apart by the oppressive German Democratic Republic and the Berlin Wall. It is filled with mystery, intrigue, secrets, spies, snitches, encrypted letters, and code breaking. It tells the story of people who risked their lives to get the truth out the world with the hope of change and freedom.

As fascinating as the intrigue is the story was made even more compelling by the characters and their relationships. The characters came across as very real as we learn about their experiences and what they are thinking and feeling. The characters grew and changed over the years.

I enjoyed reading historical fiction and Katherine Reay did a fabulous job making the characters come to life during the fascinating time of the Cold War. The Berlin Letters is a is compelling, thoughtful novel, and filled with intrigue.

The Berlin Letters is the first novel I have read by Katherine Reay and I am so glad I discovered her work. I was reminded when reading this book, what an incredible time we lived through when we saw the Berlin Wall come down and freedom come to those who were oppressed. I look forward to reading more of her books.

I would like to thank Publisher Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complementary copy of The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Cold War, historical fiction, multiple timelines, CIA...espionage...code breaking...this was a great one! I don't think I've read any historical fiction novels specifically around the Berlin wall before - always love digging into a new time in history. I particularly loved the end being tied up with a bow (tho not always realistic, it's my favorite!).

I received a complimentary copy of this book (thank you!). Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Berlin Letters. This book was an amazing read. Luisa always wondered about the puzzles her grandfather would make for her. Working at the CIA, she is disappointed that she didn't advance with her co-workers. After the death of her grandfather, she finds out that her father, who she thought was dead, might still be alive. With courage, relying on her past CIA training, she does all she can to find him. Filled with rescue, hope, and the desire for freedom, Luisa finally realizes the truth about her career challenges. Katherine Reay leads us on dual timeline journey that brings to life what it was like during the time of the Berlin Wall.

This book was incredible, and it should rank for one of my top reads this year. The rich history and sense of place gave a background to this story, while the beating heart is found in the father-daughter relationship neither expected they could have. A story of Cold War spies and family secrets, framed by the history of the Berlin Wall. This book did such a good job helping me to see what this time period was likr and giving a sense of what it was like to survive in East Berlin.

A spellbinding tale that transports the reader to the tumultuous days of the Cold War. Rich in historical detail, the story is a masterful blend of espionage, family secrets, and the power of love.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Life behind the wall in Eastern Germany is something I've always heard about. My parents were in Germany while the wall was there and talked about the fear and separation caused by the wall. However, reading The Berlin Letters changed my perspective on this monstrous historical event. Reay tells the story from the perspectives of Luisa and her father Haris, both residents of East Germany. While Haris still resides in East Germany and has turned spy for the Americans, Luisa's mother threw her over the wall to her grandparents after the wall's construction. The story speaks to the heartache of families separated by the wall, the terror inflicted by the Stasi, and the lives behind the masks in East Germany. At the same time, Luisa's journey into East Germany is fascinating to follow! Overall, this novel is very well done. The amount of historical research and references included in this 20-year story are fascinating. This is the second historical fiction novel of Katherine Reay's that I've read, and I am impressed by her research and unique story. She has selected a unique time in history and transported us there.
4.5/5

Edge of your seat intrigue and espionage set in the first days of November 1989 in East Berlin as decades of spy intelligence comes to a head just as the Berlin Wall is about to fall. Louisa is at the heart of the story- now an adult codebreaker for the CIA she discovers secrets about her family and her childhood in Berlin where on the day the wall went up she was handed across to her grandparents, never to see her parents in East Berlin again. Exciting, engaging, and informative story about the shocking reality of life in East Berlin and those who sought to change it for the better.

The book covers a very tough period in history and the effects it took on a family, but it does it throughly and with a lot of heart.

The best part of the book is the language — Katherine Reay uses beautiful phrases and words and changes voice effortlessly when telling the story through each character’s point of view.

The story, beautiful language, and thorough research all make for a wonderful read!

4.5 stars rounded up
“Like me, she wants to know what’s true, what’s a story, and who made it up. Like me she’s searching…”

From the publisher: “November 1989 —After finding a secret cache of letters with intelligence buried in the text, CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler learns that not only is her father alive but he is languishing in an East German Stasi jail. Alternating storylines between Luisa and her father, The Berlin Letters shows the tumultuous early days of the wall, bringing Berlin, the epicenter of the Cold War, to life while also sharing one family’s journey through secrets, lies, and division to love, freedom, and reconciliation.”

Interesting, nuanced characters and a strong exciting plot make The Berlin Letters a historical fiction book that stands above many others. Reay’s book captures the DDR (East Germany) during the Cold War, with well-researched details. ”The new neighborhoods are full of tall and identical cement structures that have been built in the last several years, but with little style in their design and little grass and greenery between them. They are not beautiful…the bombed buildings are not being reconstructed in their original fashion. If not left in rubble, the new additions are uniform, cement, and uninspired.”

There is a menacing undercurrent, but the book is not frightening or graphic and moves along quickly. The romance at the end of the book was OK but didn’t really add to the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book by Katherine Reay this is my first time reading this author and I am excited to check out her other books .
The book is a dual timeline between the main character Luisa and her father Harris and her Opa. Luisa is a code breaker for the CIA and is asked by a coworker for help breaking the code of letters from the past. That letter leads her to discover her life is not what she has believed it to be.
Katherine Reay does an excellent job of capturing the essence of East Berlin and the lives of the people who lived there. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about and Katherine Reay has given us another view of this world and how people survived and fought it in their own way.
I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend.