Undeniably a well written debut novel, however for some reason not one I could connect with and didn't grab me. I failed to feel anything for the characters and just didn't have the desire to keep picking my Kindle up to find out what happened.

I enjoyed reading this book - it was a lovely experience. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

A 5 star read for me. This novel took place in August 1961 when the Berlin Wall literally appeared overnight - a period of history I knew very little about.

The book is written from the perspective of Lisette - her baby has a heart defect and is in hospital in West Berlin - and her teenage daughter Elly who resolves to rescue him and return him to her mother with whom she has a difficult relationship.

We hear about Lisette’s backstory - her experiences during World War Two and the treatment of the civilian population after the fall of Berlin by Russian troops. Her trauma leads to the loss of her voice and her music.

Elly has inherited her musical talent but feels unloved by her mother and has never understood why. She hopes by returning Axel to her mother that she can repair their relationship.

Ella’s escape from the East facilitated by a Russian soldier and her encounters with activists in the West are powerfully told. The retelling of the war years is at times traumatic to read.

A fascinating story - one which will stay with me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'm fascinated by the Berlin Wall and this tale of a mother separated from her baby drew me in immediately.

The story is dual POV and dual timeline: we follow Lisette in 1940s Berlin during and after WWII, and her daughter Elly in 1960s Berlin just after the border between East and West Berlin has been closed and the Wall fortified. Elly has a troubled relationship with her mother so, in a bid to finally gain her love, she plans to somehow get over the Wall, rescue her brother and reunite the family.

This is a harrowing story, especially Lisette's, very tense and sad. I had to take a little break at one point. However, it's also hopeful, and Elly's determination to get her brother is really heartwarming. I'm not sure how believable some of that part was but I didn't care, it made for a great story. I enjoyed the family relationships and the way the two timelines came together towards the end and the mysteries of Lisette's character were revealed. Altogether it was a very satisfying story and neatly tied up which I like.

Even though this was in some ways more WWII fiction, I liked it as I hadn't heard about the things that happened in Berlin after the war ended. It made a change to get a German perspective. It also helped to put the Wall in context. I think the author did a great job with her subject and I look forward to seeing what she does next. Highly recommended.

I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The way the life of German people during the WWII and the aftermath of the war in Germany was portrayed makes this book worth reading it. Josie Ferguson managed to give life and voice to the characters of the book.

This story in set in Berlin in the tumultuous German middle-third of the century. Lisette lives with her husband, 15 year-old daughter Elly and baby son Axel in gloomy east Berlin. Baby Axel is kept overnight in a hospital in the western sector of the city to investigate a puzzling medical condition when the border is sealed overnight without warning and Axel is stranded on the other side; all movement between the areas are stopped by the communist GDR state. The story of how and why Lisette seems to be estranged from her daughter Elly becomes gradually clear as the story progresses – as can be anticipated it is a bleak tale of human suffering and horror There is a thread of psychological disturbance in the family, certainly exacerbated, if not caused, by the trauma of the German people in the years from 1938 to 1961 which are covered in the story.
While the historical context is mostly sound and the writer’s research is competent, there are a few issues. It is unlikely that an adult leisure shoe would be termed a trainer in 1961 (the OED’s first reference for use was in 1968) and would a conventional middle-aged German mother say “OK” in 1940s Berlin? There are lots of cliches and it is odd even though music plays a central and influencing role in the lives of Lisette and Elly, the sense of the writing and narrative credibility can be a little curiously off-key and tone deaf at times. The writing is capable and the plot absorbing, but this is just a good and not outstanding work of fiction.

An emotional story told by mother and daughter, between 1945 and 1961 (as the Berlin Wall went up, separating the family from their baby son/brother). The subject does make it a tough read at times, especially as Berlin fell at the end of the war and the Russian soldiers raped German women. As a debut, it’s impressive - the characters are complex and well written, the story clearly well researched with little details that might seem implausible (like people wrapping towels around their heads in case the building collapses on them), but actually happened.

I’d say 4.5 stars overall rounded down only because the whole “hearing people’s music” thing wore thin after a while for me.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in Germany during the Second World War and in the 1960s it gives us a fascinating insight into what life was like for the Germans during the war. I highly recommend it.

4.5* The Silence Between - Josie Ferguson. Epic debut. What an incredible read.

Set across 2 times lines we join Lisette and her family from the early years of WWII in their home in Berlin. A normal family who don’t believe the politics or hoop-la of the Nazis but cannot escape it either. As the war goes on, so the despair piles up for everyone but through the eyes of the characters that we grow to love, we get a visceral feeling of being with them. If some of these stories have been told before, the focus on the aftermath as the Russians take control in the Eastern zones of the city is less well accounted for in fiction and is harrowing.

Set alongside this is the night that Berlin is split in two and families are torn apart, not least Lisette, whose baby son is in hospital in the West. As the despair rises, the possible routes to a family reunion narrow and only a daring plan could bring solace.

A fantastic book. Equally heartbreaking and powerful. The various strands are beautifully intertwined and this book is deservedly shortlisted for Waterstones debut of the year.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

The end of WW2 and the soviets occupy Berlin, raping and killing hundreds of thousands of German civilian women. A story unfolds of a rape by a high ranking officer and the long lasting trauma inflicted on the victim. The story then moves to 1961 with the building of the Berlin Wall and the devastating effect on the same family now living in a fractured city with their young child trapped in West Berlin. Both stories evolve, with the harrowing story of a young girl intent on crossing into the west to save her sibling and return him to the mother who no longer has the strength to overcome any further mental torture. Both dramatic periods in history unfold with terrifying clarity as the backdrop to a fictional tragedy . The author moves the story and survivors forward with a conclusion three decades later as the collapse of the wall takes place that has divided families and finally giving freedom for the people of East Berlin.. An unusual slant using a fictional family and events to highlight another side of historical events that cannot fail to bring home the horrendous actions and events of WW2 and the subsequent Berlin Wall. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this provoking novel of the implications of ordinary people living through extraordinary monstrous periods of our history.

The Silence In Between is a most moving tale of a family divided by politics in Berlin. In 1961 Lisette has to leave her baby boy, Paul, behind in hospital. The following day she wakes up and the Wall in Berlin has been erected leaving her trapped in the East with her husband and teenage daughter Elly, unable to reach her son in the West.

The story is told in a dual time frame - 1961 in Elly's voice and the horrific years during WW2 in Lisette's. The research required for this story, based on real life, is exemplary. The characterisations of the main characters, including Lisette's mother and husband, is excellent. The Silence In Between is a wonderful read and deserves to be very successful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK/Transworld/Doubleday for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lisette lives in East Berlin with her husband, 15 year old daughter and baby son. When her son falls ill she takes him to the hospital in West Berlin, she is persuaded to leave him at the hospital to go home for a rest, it is 12 August 1961. Arriving home it is late and everyone is fast asleep, she lies down intending to rest for a few minutes but wakes the following morning to hear the radio broadcast that the wall has been erected separating East and West Berlin.
Lisette adores her baby son but never felt the same connection with her daughter, she is distraught, how will she get him back.
This story focuses on how the women of West Berlin were treated at the end of the second World War and how they coped, it is gripping tale but very emotional.

A 'now and then' story about Berlin; the war, the wall, the Russians and a family caught up in the middle of it. There is a different angle from the usual Berlin wall escape tale which adds interest, and there is a fair amount of intrigue regarding Lisette and Julius.

Writing this I realise I am not bubbling with enthusiasm, the constant referring to people's 'music' frustrated me as it did not appear to add anything to the story. It also boils down to this is a piece of historical fiction, covering a time and place which has had many, many pieces of fiction written about it. If you are new to Berlin and what happened during and after WW2 then you will be enchanted with the characters and the extraordinary situation that they faced. If you are a tired old reader like me then it may seem a bit old hat.

A powerful split timeline book that kept me engaged all the way through. Part set in WW2 Berlin and part in the 1960s as the wall was erected. A mother separated from her baby, in hospital in West Berlin.

As Elly sets out on a risky mission to rescue her brother and reunite her family, her mother’s story in the war unfolds.
Music is at the heart of this book, music and strong women. A heartfelt debut. I will lookout for more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and he publisher for a review copy of this book.

I love historical fiction, especially books which are set around real life events that I can go and read up about afterwards. The book is a dual timeline story which revolves around the Berlin Wall. Initially the story begins in 1961 when Lisette finds herself separated from her baby boy when the Wall is put up overnight. Her son is ill in a hospital in West Berlin and she is stuck in East Berlin having gone home for some rest. The storyline then takes us backwards and forwards from 1961 to the Second World War, following Lisette's story in the earlier years and her daughter Elly's story in 1961.

This was a truly amazing book! I thought it was only going to be set around the time that the Wall went up and what happened after that, I didn't realise it would jump back in time to the War also. The switch between the two times however was done perfectly and there was no confusion as to where you were in their stories. Their stories though were captivating, heart-breaking and took you right into the fear and uncertainty of what was happening. The characters were so well written and I equally loved Lisette and Elly's stories in the different times.

The author has put a huge amount of research into this cleverly written book and as I read I was looking up little bits and pieces to see if some of these things really happened. I'm glad to say a lot of the book was factually correct, but this did add to the sadness I felt as I read to know that so many people went through this. This was an absolutely brilliant book, full of emotion, and which will stay with you long after you have finished it.

This is an incredibly moving and perceptive historical debut novel by Josie Ferguson. The story about a family separated by the building of the Berlin Wall shows their agonising attempts reunite. They also have to come to terms with their horrific experiences during the war and it's aftermath which has affected the whole family and their relationships. It is a disturbing subject, but sensitively dealt with and excellent characterisation.

The story is told via a dual timeline. Lisette is trapped in East Berlin, when the wall is erected in 1961, with her baby on the other side. Her daughter, Ella has always felt disconnected to her mother and wants to help. Can she rescue Paul and to what end ?
Meanwhile, the story also tells us about Lisette's time as a young woman in Berlin at the end of the Second World War and the lengths she had to go to to survive.
Much like Berlin today, the novel doesn't shy away from the history and the brutality ordinary citizens faced during both these periods of its history. It is based on true stories which makes it all the more shocking. It's difficult to comprehend what life would have been like even though this division didn't end until I was well into my teens.
There is a lot which happens in the novel but it is all conveyed clearly and sensitively. It tells a story of courage, love and determination together with a hope for the future.

This historical fiction book will stay with me for a long time.
An absolutely engaging read despite some of the content being horrific.
A story told from the point of 2 main characters over 2 different time line so paying attention to time and character is necessary.
This book is highly recommended, a very well written debut book and I will look out for books by this author in the future.

Wow this book was phenomenal!
The story worked really well with the different time lines and perspectives.
Both women were strong characters on their own way and my heart was in my mouth hoping for a successful resolution.
Refreshing to have a book about the wall and the divide and not the war but where the same tensions remain.
Definitely be purchasing a to keep copy tomorrow.

I was very young when the Berlin Wall fell, too young to really understand what was happening and what it meant; I learned about it as history, something that happened in the past. Too long ago to really affect anything. This book brings it stunningly, vividly to life.

Be aware, as I wasn't, this book jumps timelines; the first part is divided between the days immediately after the Wall went up, and Berlin immediately before and during the Second World War. The Second section is set completely after the Wall and there's an brief epilogue. I've never been a fan of time jumping books, I find it very hard to keep the timelines straight, but I know that's my issue and most readers don't have a problem with it.

The sheer horror and brutality of both the War and the Wall are shown clearly here, as well as the moments of brightness and happiness that can happen even in the worst situations. The bravery of ordinary people was amazing.

This novel will definitely rip your heart out. It's a fascinating read about a momentous time period that will - hopefully - never be repeated.