When you hear about a historical fiction novel about Germany, you automatically think WWII, right? Well, A Night Divided is set in 1960s East Germany after the Berlin Wall goes up. Gerta’s father and brother were on a trip in West Berlin when the wall went up, while Gerta and the rest of her family are stuck in East Berlin. Gerta grows up quietly bucking the system. People say she’s too much like her father, a member of an underground movement to push back against the strict Communist government. She mouths the government rhetoric during the day, while listening to smuggled Beatles records at night. But when her oldest brother, Fritz, is arrested for secretly helping a friend trying to escape, Gerta knows she must do something drastic…like tunnel under the wall to freedom.
As a fan of most historical fiction books, I really enjoyed this one. It’s an interesting time in history and one that most middle schoolers may be unaware of. I especially liked that every chapter starts with a quote, either a German proverb or a quote about living during this time in history. It puts into perspective that this was a real time with real people who lived through it. The ending is not as ominous as The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas but it does end with the warning, “Geschichte wiederholt sich. (History repeats itself.)” Which is a good lesson for the next generation to know before they take over the world.
The mood of the book is very dark and secretive, so if you’re looking for an uplifting happy read, this book is not it (I mean, the cover is gray and has barbed wire on it…should be a red flag that it’s not a romantic comedy). However, if you enjoy history and a little suspense, this would be a great read for a middle schooler.
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