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The Girl Behind the Wall

The Girl Behind the Wall

Written by Mandy Robotham, this tells the story of twin sisters Karin and Jutta are cruelly separated when the Berlin Wall goes up in 1961. Karin is trapped under Soviet rule in unforgiving East Berlin, while Jutta remains with her family in the west.

The majority of the group enjoyed the book, though with a few reservations. There were quite a few  unbelievable and unrealistic coincidences.  Some found the book rather superficial and not emotive enough.

However, the portrayal of life in East and West Berlin was "refreshingly balanced', especially the views of Otto, who was brought up in the east and had a fervent desire to improve the lives of its citizens.

Historically the book was very poignant as the group could remember the wall, its impact on the lives of people in Germany and the day in November when the wall came down.

One member had actually visited East Berlin while the wall was still up and her insights were very interesting.

Review by Dorothy Ivatt