Goodreads Summary:
From New York Times 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 divided overnight. 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 loved this book. I haven't read a whole lot about the Berlin wall and what all happened during that time. I remember when it came down, because it was during my lifetime. And I remember watching a movie about a family escaping in a hot air balloon, but that was it. This book gave a basic idea of what went on, but has piqued my interest to learn more. This is a great book for all ages. Kids, youth, adults. It shows that when a family is divided and freedom is taken, people will do anything it takes to get them back. I love the relationships in this story. Parent to child. Brother to sister. Friend to Friend. Loyalist to patriot. It is a great book.
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