The Berlin Wife- Storyline and Book Review

The year is 1923, and it has been just a few years since the First World War ended. After agreeing to pay massive reparations to the Allied forces, Germany is left impoverished. With rampant hyperinflation, there is poverty, a lack of resources, and job losses. People with low incomes and the middle class feel the brunt the most.

Edith is a young woman living a comfortable life, away from all the world’s worries, with her husband, Julian, in Munich. Julian owns Falkenstein Bank and is successful, rich, and well-connected in his circles. They both live in a lovely mansion and have enough money to buy all the luxuries in the world. 

Although Edith lives a luxurious life now, this was not the case in the past. Edith comes from a middle-class working family. After Julian and she fell in love and got married, her life changed. Edith’s family, which comprises her parents, two brothers, and a sister, live in modest conditions, like many other people from working backgrounds, and face the same problems that millions like them face in a country that is in depression. 

The story starts in 1923 and ends around 1938. During this course of time, Germany goes through many landmark events such as the Beer Hall Coup-a failed attempt by Hitler to gain power, Hitler’s time in prison and his early discharge, The fire in the Reichstag Building, The night of long knives or Operation Hummingbird-Political executions to consolidate power, and the signing of the Enabling Act by the then president Paul von Hindenburg which gave the ultimate power to Hitler to become the supreme leader and the most influential person in Germany. With Hitler becoming more and more powerful each day, the Jews face discrimination on all fronts. They lose jobs and their civil rights, their children are discriminated against in schools, and they are humiliated in public by the SS men. 

Hatred for the Jews spreads far and wide and starts affecting families and friendships. Although Edith is a Christian, Julian comes from a Jewish lineage. While Edith’s family encourages her to divorce Julian and break all ties with him, Edith is sure she will stand by her husband and do whatever is in her power to protect him. All these years, Edith had played the role of a good wife, one who cares and dotes on her husband, and Julian had played the typical male role of providing for the family and protecting them. Now, with the changing atmosphere in the country, they witness a change in their roles, too. 

Julian stays confident for a very long time that, with his wealth and connections, he and his family cannot be harmed. Slowly, as the situation becomes more and more dangerous, many from their circles plan to emigrate, leaving their businesses in someone else hands. Julian has a sharp business mind and focuses on protecting his business and family wealth. He considers everything from converting cash to jewellery, moving his assets to Swiss banks, and opening a new branch in a neutral country. But emigrating from Germany is out of the question for him. He does not, for once, imagine that a person of his stature, power and wealth can be subject to the same treatment rendered to others. Moreover, although his parents were Jews, Julian converted to Christianity long ago. This boosts his confidence even more. Unfortunately, his thinking doesn’t match with the Nazi logic. In the eyes of the Nazis, Jewish blood in the veins is good enough to qualify someone as vile, someone who is responsible for the terrible situation the country faces and, hence must be punished. 

The storm that has taken the country wipes off everything on its way, and no one is spared. With a country in turmoil, every citizen is affected. 

Finally, one day, when the SS men burn Julian’s office and he is herded to the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen, Julian realizes that things have already gone out of control. Thanks to his wealth and connections, he is released after two days, but he finally realizes that the water has already reached above their noses. The duo must find a way out. Luck may not be in their favour the next time. 

This book is the first book of the Berlin Wife series, with the second and third being The Berlin Wife’s Choice and The Berlin Wife’s Resistance. It was an incredible and educative journey for me to read this book. Although it is fiction, it takes inspiration from real-life events. The critical events that shaped Germany during those turbulent times are narrated in chronological order. These events are then knitted with the lives of the main characters in the story. As I read the book, I found myself frequently checking the internet to learn more about these events through Wiki pages, documentaries, etc. This made the experience even more enriching for me. The historical facts and events that led up to the rise of Nazi power in Germany, thereby impacting the lives of its people, are narrated cleverly and engagingly. It is an exciting book and a sure-shot page-turner. I am already on to the next book 🙂

Learn about other exciting books here.

I always read my books on Kindle. That way, I can carry all my books wherever I go 🙂

By the way, after our short holiday in Munich and visit to the Dachau Concentration camp, I was quite excited to read a book about the Second World War. And I am glad I picked this book. It mentions many places we visited during that trip, and it felt like I was a part of the story as it happened.

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