The Girl Behind the Wall: family separations and the Berlin Wall

The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham is a story about two sisters separated by the sudden construction of the Berlin Wall. One seemingly ordinary day, Karin is rushed to a hospital due to a sudden illness. While she is recovering, overnight she becomes trapped behind the Berlin Wall in East Berlin, separated from her twin sister, Jutta and the rest of their family. For years, Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives, cut off by the Wall. As Jutta tries desperately to get Karin home, Karin finds one reason to stay. She has fallen in love with Otto, a man who has given her hope despite the brutal regime she now lives in. When Jutta finds a way in, the sisters have days together, always trying to convince Karin to come home. With each visit, their time becomes short as the Stasi has eyes everywhere. Karin is faced with a terrible decision: to flee to the West and be with her family or sacrifice it all for the love of her life? 

I was ten years old when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989. The images of the wall collapsing are vivid in my memory. I remember seeing a slab of the wall at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California shortly after and it left an impression on my young mind. When I came across The Girl Behind the Wall, I was intrigued because I haven’t seen many books about the Wall. Most books usually focus on the war efforts and ignore the aftermath. I applaud Ms. Robotham for writing about this time of upheaval. Her descriptions of the desperation and the sadness experienced by the families torn apart are heartbreaking.  The story itself is a slow build to Karin’s ultimate choice. I did expect more moments of heart stopping terror and the cruelty of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Overall, I enjoyed the story, a glimpse of life in the immediate aftermath of the Wall. I recommend The Girl Behind the Wall. 

The Girl Behind the Wall is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook.