I just finished the audio book, A Night Divided
I picked the book because it fit into one of my favorite genres young adult historical fiction.
I have not read a lot about the time in history of the cold war and the Berlin Wall. This book took me right to that time in history…but did I like it?Yes. I liked it very much. As I said I didn’t know lots about this time period so I appreciated learning a little more. In the book a family gets divided by the wall with Mom and two kids on one side of the wall and Dad with one kid on the other side of the wall. I can’t imagine that. I’d be so lost without Hubby…. What a blessing to many that the wall came down.
Here’s what Amazon had to say, “From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.
With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can’t help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.
But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?”
I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys juvenile fiction. Amazon readers are agreeing with me. 4.8 stars is one of the highest ratings I’ve even seen. Hmmm….I’m off to see if she has more books.
Just got this one in my library!
Interesting subject matter. We were able to go to East Berlin (before the wall came down) while stationed in Germany. Actually, we went more than once. It was an amazing experience with armed guards on the wall and people following us while we were in East Berlin. The military member had to be in uniform and we couldn’t take any pictures of government buildings. Cameras everywhere…but, no smiling people. I am glad our sons were old enough to remember this experience…we are so blessed to be Americans!