A short while ago, I came across The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham. This historical fiction is set in Berlin at the time of the Berlin Wall. I’ve been in Berlin multiple times myself and visited several museums, did city tours and of course visited Checkpoint Charlie during my trips. Furthermore, my grandmother is from East Berlin and settled in the Netherlands with my granddad right after WWII. Unfortunately, she suffered from dementia and passed away when I was 6 years old, so I wasn’t able to hear her stories about this period in history first-hand. There was still a lot of family there when Berlin got brutally divided. No, I don’t know them as granddad died 2 years later. As I often enjoy a good historical fiction, I knew I had to read this book straight away.

A city divided. When the Berlin Wall goes up, Karin is on the wrong side of the city. Overnight, she’s trapped under Soviet rule in unforgiving East Berlin and separated from her twin sister, Jutta. Two sisters torn apart. Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives for years, cut off by the Wall. But Karin finds one reason to keep going: Otto, the man who gives her hope, even amidst the brutal East German regime. One impossible choice… When Jutta finds a hidden way through the wall, the twins are reunited. But the Stasi have eyes everywhere, and soon Karin is faced with a terrible decision: to flee to the West and be with her sister, or sacrifice it all to follow her heart?

I already predicted it, but I was fully emersed in this novel. Robotham tells the story through a multiple POV narrative, with a POV switch nearly every chapter. This way, we get to know the twins Jutta and Karin well. They have unconditional love for each other and are inseparable since birth. Until that 13^th of August in 1961. Especially Jutta is taking this hard, because she still lives with her mom who has experienced lots of devastation in life already. The “loss” of Karin due to the Wall has beaten up her spirits hard. Jutta has one mission which gets her full focus and dedication. Karin on the other hand seems to take this more lightly, she seems to easier adjust to her situation. This definitely has to do with the circumstances she has been facing at the time when the Wall was built. Throughout the novel her longing for her family becomes visible, but it’s still a glimpse. Karin and Jutta definitely are opposite characters in that aspect. Personally I think Jutta has more fire in her which I prefer.

Whereas the characters have been written well and believable, the plot has some flaws. To be honest, some parts are quite unbelievable at first glance. Everything seems to run so smoothly, which feels very unrealistic to me regarding the far-reaching checks at the checkpoints. It was just waiting for the moment it didn’t go right anymore. We later find out what actually happened which all sounds quite plausible in the end. It therefore is obvious Robotham has done extended research, which is also stated in the acknowledgements. This book was intriguing from start to finish, with its short chapters and accessible writing style. I was therefore able to finish it in a weekend.

The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham is a historical fiction novel I thoroughly enjoyed. I have heard many stories about the Berlin Wall but have never read a fiction novel about it. As the story is told through a multiple POV narrative, we get to know the characters well. They are written well and believeable. The plot has it’s flaws, but they are forgiven because of the intrigue. Are you looking for a novel about this period in history? This book might be suitable for you then.