Zeitgeist

It’s 1989, East Germany. When a British exchange student at Leipzig University goes missing, her friend Karen must delve into state secrets to find her...

Students Karen Martin and Isobel Donaghay, arrive in East Germany to begin their cultural exchange programme. However, the lecturer in charge of the exchange, Herr Weisner, instantly makes Karen suspicious.

As the students become integrated into East German life, they stumble across a secret movement against the government. Isobel is torn by her loyalty to her dead father, former academic and supporter of Communism, and her sympathy for the plight of her new East German friends. The fact that they risk severe punishment at the hands of the secret service – the Stasi – for their beliefs only makes things worse.

Isobel is plunged into turmoil by her growing feelings for Weisner, who succeeds in charming her, blinding her to his real motives. When an accident sees her wind up in hospital, he appears as her saviour. Karen, having realised his true motives, arrives too late and finds Isobel gone.

Piecing together evidence from photos, Isobel’s diary and her own observations, Karen embarks on a hunt for her friend that takes her to Berlin and the tumultuous events leading up to the fall of the Wall. Will Karen be able to find her friend before all trace of her captors disappears?

Zeitgeist is a pulse-pounding novel, set against a backdrop of Stasi surveillance, dissidents and political unrest. It will appeal to young adults ages 12+.