The Berlin Apartment

By: Bryn Turnbull

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells

“Wholly immersive and impeccably researched, Bryn Turnbull’s tale brings the time vividly to life.” —Toronto Star on The Paris Deception

For fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah, this sweeping love story follows a young couple whose lives are irrevocably changed when they’re separated overnight by the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Berlin 1961: When Uli Neumann proposes to Lise Bauer, she has every reason to accept. He offers her love, respect, and a life beyond the strict bounds of the East German society in which she was raised — which she longs to leave more than anything. But only two short days after their engagement, Lise and Uli are torn violently apart when barbed wire is rolled across Berlin, splitting the city into two hostile halves: capitalist West Berlin, an island of western influence isolated far beyond the iron curtain; and the socialist East, a country determined to control its citizens by any means necessary.

Soon, Uli and his friends in West Berlin hatch a plan to get Lise and her unborn child out of East Germany, but as distance and suspicion bleed into their lives and as weeks turn to months, how long can true love survive in the divided city?

and the Berlin |Wall came down

Different kind of historical fiction for me as I was alive during the timespan covered by the book.

When choosing this book to listen to, you know it's a story about a divided Berlin and the people caught up in it. The story begins with the separation of two young people in love and their quest to get back together via a tunnel. For a good part of the early part of the book everything seems to be going to plan, and it seems they will be reunited. I thought to myself, though, that an author has to create some conflict in a book and the author did just that. There were many trials and tribulations all involved had to suffer through as the story unfolds. But you do get a good feel for how many of the people, on both sides of the wall, had to feel as they lived their lives in a city divided by a wall.

It was different for me having lived while the wall existed. I was actually in the US Army and stationed in West Germany (Bad Kreuznach) in 1974 and 1975., while the wall was up. I was in a Military Customs unit, and we had a detachment in West Berlin so while not stationed there myself I knew fellow soldiers who were. It was good duty in both West Berlin and West Germany, but you knew the big, bad Soviet Union was just to the east.

I traveled to Berlin twice, once as a student after the army while the wall was still up. As a group we went into East Berlin for a day. It seemed pretty bleak as I remember. Not that bad but you knew you didn't want to get stuck there. Then later my wife and I traveled to Berlin after the wall had come down. We took the tour, went past Checkpoint Charlie, saw the sites in the reunited city. We came away feeling that Berlin was a vibrant city, World War II set it back many years. We left with a belief that we would like to go back after a significant number of years had passed to see how Berlin was again becoming a vibrant city taking its place on the world stage. Haven't made it back for that yet but there's still time.

Enjoyed the listen a lot.

Freedom is a human right, but only one generation from extinction

Freedom, when stripped away, becomes a passion to regain. Rights removed in an instant was an agonizing reality for those not indoctrinated to socialist ideologies. Lise's brother pressured his sister to comply with the collective mindset, and she relented under extreme duress. Once her son was subjected to the intense discipline and indoctrination, she could no longer comply. Her friend Inge and Udi re-engaged and became a lifeline to regain her and Rudy's freedom and happiness.

So much to learn in this fascinating story

I could not stop listening to this book. The story is intriguing and Mary Jane Wells is truly an excellent reader. The characters are well developed, the story is complex and the difficulties of life in East Berlin are brought to life in countless ways. After this book, I gained so much knowledge about this era in modern history and thought deeply about human interactions, emotional challenges and hope.

The heartbreaking microcosm of how the control of communistic ideals thwarts life and happiness.

The story illustrates very well the heartbreaking microcosm of how the control of communism and dictatorship blind normal human values and goals. The socialistic “ideals” thwart the ability to lead a life based on personal convictions and freedom.

Great but tough read

A well researched insight into what lived experiences could be on both sides of the wall when separated from those you love.