The Wall Between Us - Dan Smith

 Anja and Monika are cousins and best friends living in Berlin in 1961.  They play together every day and why wouldn't they, they live across the street from each other - only 46 paces; Anja's counted them.  But then, one night, Anja wakes to a commotion and finds soldiers unrolling barbed wire along the street, cutting it in half.  And shortly after, a wall goes up there as well.  Suddenly, the best friends feel so far apart and can only signal to each other from their bedroom windows, but that has to stop as well for fear of retribution.  In the blink of an eye, the girls' worlds have been changed forever, with Anja living in West Berlin and Monika in East Berlin.  Life becomes very different for them but one thing remains the same: their longing to see each other.  So when Anja realises that Otto, her cat, can make his way to Monika, then surely she can too.  

The Wall Between Us is a very cleverly told story, using diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, and prose effectively.  From the very first page, you know what's going to happen, you just don't know where and how, and interestingly this made the book all the more gripping for me.  As the book unfolds, things become clearer and I found myself willing things to change; hoping that the thing I know is coming, isn't really and I've got it wrong somehow!  

This feels like a very different book for Dan, using several styles of writing to move the plot along.  This helps us to hear from both Anja and Monika and to get both sides of the story.  There is an innocence in the diary entries and the letters that the girls write and I really liked that; they are, after all, only 12 years old (well 12 2/3 and 12 1/2).  At a time when there was no social media and lives were lived more simply, the girls don't fully understand the implications and the danger of what is really happening.  They hadn't lived through WWII and don't fully understand the fall out and the reasons for the wall.  However, within their innocence, there are some powerful messages about friendship, family, trust and love.  Despite their youth, they manage to convey the unsettling reality of what is happening and the danger of the situation - the fact that this is based on real-life events, makes this all the more scary.  

The book certainly open up reader's eyes as to the Cold War, and I can't think of another children's book that is set during this time.  I love reading books set in WWII and I'm fascinated by the time period, (indeed, Dan has written three: My Friend The Enemy, My Brother's Secret & Nisha's War); however, I know very little about the Cold War (although I do remember watching the wall come down on the news).  The thought of friends and families being separated like that breaks my heart and Dan really explores this very effectively.  The desperation for some people to escape at any cost; the need to be guarded about everything you say and do, even in your own home; the fear of doing the wrong thing would be exhausting and that comes across well through the story the girls tell.

If I put my teacher's hat for a moment, I can see The Wall Between Us making a fascinating class read: the discussion and the writing opportunities would be amazing.  

I could go on and on about this book and those who know me will know that I'm already a huge fan of Dan's work.  He is great at writing gripping reads which are difficult to put down.  And The Wall Between Us was definitely that; however, in a very different and wonderful way.  I don't know whether it was the idea that this is based on real history or that I knew at least some of what was coming; perhaps it was the use of different styles of writing - or maybe it was a combination of all of those things, but The Wall Between Us left me moved and with a serious book hangover.

I can't promise you won't cry at the end of the book (I certainly did), but I can promise that this is a book you will love and you will be thinking about long after you finish reading it.

The Wall Between Us publishes on the 8th June and is a book that deserves to be pre-ordered and shouted about at every opportunity - I know it's what I'll be doing.