1. A compelling, unforgettable novel that brings to life the very human story behind a momentous turning point in history
2. A tale of secrets and spies, love and tragedy in Stasi East Germany
3. Will appeal to fans of Restless, The Reader, Alone in Berlin and the film The Lives of Others
Brandenburg 1993: The Berlin Wall is down, the country is reunified and thirty-year-old school teacher Michael Ritter feels his life is falling apart. His wife has thrown him out, his new West German headmaster has fired him for being a socialist, former Party member and he is still clinging on to the wreckage of the state that shaped him. Disenfranchised and disenchanted, Michael heads home to care for his terminally ill mother.
Before she dies, she urges him to seek out an evangelical priest, Pastor Bruck, who is the only one who knows the truth about his father. When Michael eventually tracks him down, he is taken on a journey of dark discoveries, one which will shatter his foundations, but ultimately bring him hope to rebuild them.
Praise for the book:
“Its humanity, attention to detail and sheer guts will win you over” The Guardian
“Doesn’t fall too far short of the bar set by John le Carre” Metro
“It’s not often that a book starts with an idea so new to the reader that one has to put it down and think about it… This fascinating tale, which throws new light on recent history, is an excellent first novel” Literary Review
