I couldn't put this one down and read it over a weekend. Engaging Characters and writing. Recommended 5 star read.

Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child..

In post war Berlin Lisette is on one side of the wall with her husband, 15 year old daughter Elly and dementia suffering mother, on the other side is her newborn son in hospital with a heart condition

The story moves between the perspectives of Lisette and Elly, and as we go back in time we discover the reason for their strained relationship

I love historical fiction, especially WW2 but it’s been a while since I’ve read one this good! It was really interesting to hear from the point of view of the German citizens, and the repercussions felt by them at the end of the war.

Can certainly see why this has been so popular and very pleased to say that for me it lived up to the hype.

The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson resonates through the heart and soul. I am a GenXr, I remember when the Berlin Wall came down, I remember the lessons in school about the Eastern bloc and the wall going up, but this, this is a heart-rending story of the human experience of living divided by the wall


This is a debut, but in no way shape or form would I have believed it unless I had seen it in writing. This title is gripping, heart-rending, compelling and with a narrative that will keep you hooked start to finish

Imagine being seperated from your newborn. Imagine being seperated by your home being cleaved in two due to a political regime. Imagine a no-mans land of barbed wire monitored 24/7 by armed soldiers. To try to cross means to not reach the other side alive

In a stunning narrative of two sides of a wall, two completely different worlds less than a mile apart. One standing still in time, one moving forward with the rest of Europe. Will the families ever reunite?

Absolutely brilliant

Thank you to NetGalley , Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday and Josie Ferguson for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

It’s difficult to review the book. It’s the kind that stays with you long after it’s been read. All I can say is read it, you will learn things you never knew and be changed as a result

This book was right up my street. I’ve not read much about Germany and the era of the Berlin Wall and it’s just harrowing - having a young son myself, I couldn’t even imagine the pain and anguish these parents went through being separated from their children. The fractured relationship between Elly and her mother is a theme that runs throughout this story, and the development between them is actually quite beautiful. This story was very well researched, and filled with bravery, despair, tragedy and hope. It’s a great debut novel and I’d highly recommend it.

A truly interesting exploration of a fractured past. Beautifully written and the choice of timing and situation for the plot only deepened the despair of the moment.

A fantastic historical novel showing the reality of living in East Germany for women during and after WWII
Beautifully written - it’s a harrowing, powerful, emotional debut read, showing the strength and resilience of these women
It’s told from two perspectives across two timelines (WWII & 1961)
It shows the shared guilt of many German citiziens during and after the war - “we did nothing and in doing nothing, we gave our consent”
Loved how music played such an unique strand to the story - that everyone has their own personal song who reveals who they are
“Mozart said that music is not in the notes but in the silence in between. I think that’s where our souls are - hidden in that silence”
Thank you @josie_fergusonauthor @doubledaybooks & @netgalley for the amazing debut historical read - one of my 5 star reads for 2024

I was completely hooked on this book. It is a thoughtful and well balanced examination of the life of an ordinary family in Berlin, both during and after WWII. The author does not shy away from the culpability of the German population , either by supporting the nazis or, at best, looking the other way in a denial of what was happening. However, the plight of the women left behind to suffer at the hands of the occupying forces is also laid bare. The numbers of women raped by victorious armies are appalling and, as a weapon of war, it seems never ending. Having visited Berlin, it's hard to imagine the terror and despair felt when the wall went up almost overnight. How was it allowed to happen? 'To the Victor's, come the spoils' but at what cost to ordinary men women and children?

This sensational debut perfectly illustrates why I enjoy historical fiction so much: because it uncovers truths that you won’t find discussed in regular history books. And because it highlights the stories of ordinary people, who are often ignored in official accounts, but whose experiences are the most valid of all.

Set in post-war Berlin, The Silence In Between is the story of mother Lisette, her teenage daughter Elly, and hospitalized baby brother Axel, who is separated from his family when, overnight in August 1961, the Berlin Wall goes up, dividing the city in two.

While the shock renders Lisette mute, Elly resolves to find a way, despite the many dangers, to recover Axel and bring him home.

What follows is an emotionally resonant, vividly evoked story of resilience, courage, and the legacy of war. It makes for haunting reading, as shocking as it is inspiring. And it raises a multitude of questions: about human brutality, about the shame and guilt of complicity through inaction, and about the thick, weighty silence of traumas that can never be spoken aloud.

In Lisette and Elly, author Josie Ferguson has given us not one but two extraordinary female protagonists, each endowed with a voice that echoes plaintively down the decades; Elly’s from 1961, and Lisette’s from WWII and the hell hole that was East Berlin under Russian occupation

From the beginning, we know there’s a void between Lisette and Elly; a sense in Elly of her mother being emotionally distant. It’s why she so desperately wants to bring Axel home; to gain Lisette’s love and approval.

It is this intrigue, tantalizingly played out, that forms the backbone of Ferguson’s multilayered narrative; finally exploding in a horrific, unforgettable scene, where everything falls neatly into place.

Ultimately, this story is a tribute to the unbreakable bonds of family, the healing capacity of love, and the power of both combined to overcome the worst kind of trauma. I loved it.

I had never really thought about the lives of Berliners who overnight discovered a wall preventing them travelling from east to west - in fact was oblivious to the fact that the barrier appeared literally overnight. The idea that a mother could be on the East, their baby on the West side, and that there would be no way to return to collect the baby was a horrific one and a great idea for a story. That there were elements of fact woven into this piece of fiction was something that appealed to me. I liked hearing the 1960s viewpoint of teenage Elly - she seemed a real person, one to whom I could relate. Her mother Lisette, and her grandmother were harder to warm to, although as the story reached its end it became more understandable why they were such damaged characters. Again, I was unaware of the atrocities carried out by Russian soldiers upon German women when WW2 ended and whilst this aspect of the book was truly horrific, these are stories that feel like they need to be told. This is a book which I felt compelled to continue reading and which left with me a lot to think about

What an amazing historical fiction giving a point of view and side to the story that I’ve not seen before. I loved the two timelines of Lisette and Elly and thought they brought each of their points of view across well. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Imagine waking up to find your city divided by a wall overnight, and on the other side is your newborn baby.

This is Lisette’s nightmare when, on August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall slices East from West Berlin. Trapped in East Berlin with the streets in chaos and armed guards preventing escape, Lisette’s situation becomes desperate as her baby boy lies ill in a West Berlin hospital.

Elly, Lisette's teenage daughter, has always felt distant from her mother. While Elly hears music in everyone she meets, Lisette, once a gifted pianist, has lost her musical touch. Determined to bridge the gap between them, Elly devises a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home.

This dual-timeline novel weaves between 1961 and World War II, exploring Lisette's earlier years and her daughter Elly's efforts in 1961. The seamless transitions between eras provide a captivating, emotional journey through fear, uncertainty, and the harsh realities of historical events. With meticulous research and well-drawn characters, this book offers a moving portrayal of a family torn apart and the lengths they will go to reunite.

Really enjoyed this book. Wartime Germany and early 1960’s when the Berlin Wall was erected, finishing with the 1989 demolishing of the wall. Fascinating and very sad read, from a point of view I had not experienced before. A German family who did not agree with the war, but whose men had to fight. The ignorance or denial of the German citizens to what was happening to the Jews. The Russians arriving into East Berlin and the atrocities that happened then to the women and girls. Don’t want to give too much away. Well written and compelling reading.

Thanks to netgalley for the review copy.

This is a really impactful historical fiction that follows the perspectives of a mum and daughter each coming of age in time of turmoil one within Germany at the end of WW2 and the daughter within the separation of Berlin in the 60s. I thought the way it was done was very clever and poignant at times as it weaves the stories together.

What a beautiful story of love and loss. Swapping between Lisette and the war and Elly and the Wall. I was gripped to their tale, urging them on. You don't often hear of the German's side of WW2, the women left at home and what they had to deal with was heart breaking, and the men who were forced to fight on Hitler's side! A wonderfully written book full of awful truths. Had me in tears.

Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up. Can’t wait to read more by this author.
Such a beautiful story that will stick with me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, but it all seemed overly simplistic. It reads like a Young Adult book, but it isn't described as such. A good story though.

Absolutely love this book. A great take on what life was like during the Berlin Wall years. Emotional. Really put a different perspective on life during those times.

The Silence In Between is a beautifully written book set in Berlin during World War 2 and in the 1960's when the Berlin Wall was dividing the country. It was very interesting to read a book set in Germany during the war as the majority of historical fiction I have read previously have been set outside this region. This book does a excellent job of highlighting the consequences of war on civilians and in particular the story many women of war suffer through which is not always immediately recognised. I love a book that is based on true stories and once I was finished i found myself researching more about this time line and impact on those who lived through it. This book is clearly well researched and I thought the difficult content was managed excellently. Its an emotional historical fiction that I will be thinking about for long after finishing. Highly recommend!

3. 5 stars.
This was a wonderfully heartbreaking story and I enjoyed it so much. I adore historical fiction novels and Josie Ferguson write this so well. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in return for an honest review.