The Day Before the Berlin Wall: Could We Have Stopped It?

By T.H.E. Hill

The Berlin Wall is perhaps one of the most abhorrent things constructed in recent times.  Dividing a nation, a city, and most of all, families, the wall stood as a beacon of despair, fear and hatred.

Nearly thirty years after its construction, the world watched and cheered as the wall finally came down on November 9, 1989.  What if the wall had never been built?  How would history have been changed?  How would the lives of those affected been different? What if we, as Americans, could have stopped the construction as rumors have long suggested?  That is the premise T.H.E. Hill explores in his new book The Day Before the Berlin Wall.

Marc Logan is a spy.  As an American counter intelligence agent, his job is to cross into Berlin on  a regular basis to pick up communications and information from his various undercover contacts.  It was a fairly routine life, although certainly fringed with danger.  All this changes one morning when he finds himself lying on the flood, head aching, covered in blood and wanted for a murder he knew he did not commit.  On top of this, he finds himself in possession of a key piece of information regarding a wall the German government has declared they never intend to build.  His intelligence relays information affirming the construction of a divisive wall as well as information detailing how the American forces, with very little effort, could prevent that construction from ever taking place.

Cat becomes mouse as Marc must now run a dangerous gauntlet to get the information into the right hands.  Wanted for murder, his face is everywhere and the police on all sides are looking for him.  As the deadline approaches, will he succeed or will the lives of everyone he knows and comes to meet along the way be changed forever?

The Day Before the Berlin Wall is a very interesting read.  That Mr. Hill has spent time in Germany is evident as he writes as one familiar with the layout and language of the land.  Those unfamiliar with the territory, may find themselves a bit confused by words such as Straβenbaun or Straβe, but the author thoughtfully provides a brief dictionary to aid the reader.  Odd punctuation and a cacophony of voices in Marc’s head prove to be a distraction at first, but as the story moves on, it all seems to work somehow.  A great twist of an ending caps off an intriguing work of historical fiction, leaving the reader wondering “What if…?”

This review was submitted by Kristin  - Kristin is a wife, mom and the founder of The Book-Trotter.  She wrote her first review over 20 years ago and has been reading and loving books ever since.

Click to purchase The Day Before the Berlin Wall: Could We Have Stopped It?: An Alternate History of Cold War Espionage