History Comes Alive

The Wall Between Us by Dan Smith is a powerful historical children’s novel that totally gripped me. I just could not put it down and read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep.

The novel is about the erecting of the Berlin Wall in 1961. This literally divided families as the wall split Berlin in two. The Berlin Wall was actually 155Km long with just three checkpoints, the most famous being Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. West Germany was divided from Soviet controlled East Germany, which was a very different place to live.

All the action is seen through the eyes of two twelve year old cousins who lived either side of the street that the wall cut in two. They were like sisters and best friends, nothing had ever divided them before, they even shared Otto the cat.

The action is written in the form of letters, notes, diary entries and reports. History literally comes alive for the reader. We can ‘feel’ the fear and the disappointment. It is easy to empathise with both girls.

This was a time of mistrust, distrust and betrayal. Anyone could be an informant. It was best to trust no one and to keep one’s opinions private. It was also a time where bribery and coercion were used. A young girl’s openness and innocence is manipulated as she becomes a pawn in a dangerous game.