The Berlin Letters: A Cold War Novel

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Description

Bestselling author Katherine Reay returns with an unforgettable tale of the Cold War and a CIA code breaker who risks everything to free her father from an East German prison.

From the time she was a young girl, Luisa Voekler has loved solving puzzles and cracking codes. Brilliant and logical, shes expected to quickly climb the career ladder at the CIA. But while her coworkers have moved on to thrilling Cold War assignmentsespecially in the exhilarating era of the late 1980sLuisas work remains stuck in the past decoding messages from World War II.

Journalist Haris Voekler grew up a proud East Berliner. But as his eyes open to the realities of postwar East Germany, he realizes that the Soviet promises of a better future are not coming to fruition. After the Berlin Wall goes up, Haris finds himself separated from his young daughter and all alone after his wife dies. Theres only one way to reach his familyby sending coded letters to his father-in-law who lives on the other side of the Iron Curtain.

When Luisa Voekler discovers a secret cache of letters written by the father she has long presumed dead, she learns the truth about her grandfathers work, her fathers identity, and why she has never progressed in her career. With little more than a rudimentary plan and hope, she journeys to Berlin and risks everything to free her father and get him out of East Berlin alive.

As Luisa and Haris take turns telling their stories, events speed toward one of the twentieth centurys most dramatic momentsthe fall of the Berlin Wall and that nights promise of freedom, truth, and reconciliation for those who lived, for twenty-eight years, behind the bleak shadow of the Iron Curtains most iconic symbol.

• A Cold War novel that takes readers to the heart of Berlin to witness both the early and final days of the Berlin Wall
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: approximately107,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Reviews

'Both a gripping tale of espionage and a moving portrait of a family ripped apart, The Berlin Letters offers readers a fascinating glimpse at a fraught period of all-too-recent history and the people caught in the crosshairs of geopolitics who chose, each in their own way, to fight back.' * Jennifer Thorne and Lee Kelly, co-authors of The Antiquity Affair *
'Fans of codebreakers, spies, and Cold War dramas will be entrapped by Reay's tale of courage, love, and honor set against the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.' * Starred Booklist Review *
'Surrounding the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Reay's action-packed novel is told in dual-narrative form between a daughter with a rebellious streak and her father's buried secrets. A story of hope and resilience, The Berlin Letters, is a thrilling story full of intrigue, espionage, code-breaking, and at its core, loyalty and humanity. You won't be able to put it down!' * Eliza Knight, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of Starring Adele Astaire *
The Berlin Letters is a thrilling read that has it all: secret codes, espionage, and a fascinating glimpse into the world behind the Berlin Wall. Katherine Reay always delivers well-researched historical fiction with a perfect blend of heartwarming characters and fast-paced action. Fans of historical spy novels are going to love this enthralling read! --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books
Both deeply moving and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, The Berlin Letters is an eloquent reminder of the brutal totalitarianism of Soviet Communism and the unsung heroes who fought to tear down the Iron Curtain and free Eastern Europe. --Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives

Author Bio

Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. After earning degrees in history and marketing from Northwestern University, she worked as a marketer for Proctor & Gamble and Sears before returning to school to earn her MTS. Her works have been published in Focus on the Family and the Upper Room. Katherine currently lives with her husband and three children in Seattle. Dear Mr. Knightley is her first novel.