About this item
Highlights
- Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth?
- 354 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, Historical
Description
About the Book
After her parents' deaths, Lena is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling Communist Party in East Germany in the early 1980s. Visits with her Uncle Erich, a bestselling author, are her only respite. But one night, Erich disappears. This searing novel takes readers into a society ruled by autocratic despots, where nothing is what it seems.Book Synopsis
Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth?
Life in East Germany in the early 1980s is not easy for most people, but for Lena, it's particularly hard. After the death of her parents in a factory explosion and time spent in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the trauma, she is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling Communist Party. Visits with her beloved Uncle Erich, a best-selling author, are her only respite.
But one night, her uncle disappears without a trace. Gone also are all his belongings, his books, and even his birth records. Lena is desperate to know what happened to him, but it's as if he never existed.
The worst thing, however, is that she cannot discuss her uncle or her attempts to find him with anyone, not even her best friends. There are government spies everywhere. But Lena is unafraid and refuses to give up her search, regardless of the consequences.
This searing novel about defiance, courage, and determination takes readers into the chilling world of a society ruled by autocratic despots, where nothing is what it seems.
Review Quotes
"Barker crafts a chillingly realistic story . . . Throbbing with tension, the plot is supported by Lena's complexity as well as a host of masterfully rendered dynamic characters. Fans of historical fiction will flock to this title, as will dystopian devotees." --School Library Connection, *starred review, 10/18
"A stunning and compassionate portrait of a young woman fighting to retain her sense of self under a repressive regime." --Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 05/28/18
"Compelling." --Booklist, 06/01/18
"This compulsive page-turner . . . has the propulsion of a thriller, but Barker's observant, poetic language gives it a deep, dark texture, offering layer upon layer of historical and psychological richness." --The Toronto Star, 11/02/18