A Night Divided by Jennifer A Nielsen

  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 have a hard time reading or watching anything about WWII. It hearts my heart. I literally can only read OR watch one story about the time a year. A year! That’s how much the injustices and hardships and pains and deaths weigh on me. And then I get Jennifer’s book and I HAVE to read it, even if I’d already read a WWII book this year. Why did I HAVE to read? Because Jennifer is an awesome writer and I will read anything she writes. Even if it’s just her signature on a napkin (smiley).
This story is set right about the time the Berlin Wall went up. Gerta and her family are seperated and she’s determined to reunity them, even though she’s only twelve. She’s spunky and brave and leaves the reader wondering if we can be brave too. I found myself rooting for her and her plans, especially toward the end of the book.
A good, clean read that I would recommend to all ages but especially to younger readers (sixth grade up) to help understand a little bit what went on behind the wall.

L: No
V: Scariness because of the times
S: No