Absolutely a must-read!

This is a powerful coming-of-age novel combined with a captivating historical fiction. The core idea follows the protagonist's journey in discovering her sexual identity, and to do so, it ensures the creation of interesting characters who move naturally within the described world. The entire story revolves around LGBT+ themes, thoughtfully addressing queer issues first in the Irish context and then in 1928 Berlin.

The harsh reality of the historical situation of those years looms over the entire story, making the protagonist's situation even more precarious. I enjoyed the text; I found it both accurate and compelling. It's easy to empathize with the protagonist, and at the same time, the historical impact is not just in the setting but plays an active role in the narrative.

Beyond a World Apart captures the tumultuous times the world was experiencing between the wars. Our MC Cara lives in Ireland, traditional to its core and well defined by patriarchy and church. As she hits her late teens and realises that she is different and same sex attracted, the overbearing weight of church and social guilt takes its toll. Fortunately, she has sympathetic friends who help her escape her life of poverty and burden to reunite with her brother Ronan in Berlin . Ronan having escaped a few years earlier after being made a pariah because of a dalliance with a clergyman.

Berlin during the Weimar Republic is like a whole new world for Cara. Finally, she comes to terms with her sexuality and the diversity of those around her and fells like she has finally found her niche. Unfortunately, the Third Reich is looming and the once idyllic life begins to change for the worse.

There has been a lot of historical research done for this book, from the legendary El Dorado Nightclub to Dr Hirschfield’s sexology Museum, and the first tentative treatments into gender reassigning.
An interesting read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the review copy.

I enjoyed this book, and found it to be a quick and easy read. It provides a good look at the dilemma of homosexuality, particularly within the context of the Catholic Church. Add the rise of Nazism in Berlin, and the threat there to the gay community and a life of continually looking over one's shoulder is laid bare.

This was a wonderfully done novel about the queer community in 1928. It had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening with the characters. It was a really well done plot and uses everything that I was hoping for in this type of book. Caitlin E. Myers wrote this perfectly and left me wanting to read more from them.

Loved reading about queer life in a historical setting and found following characters in that world fascinating! I wanted to spend longer with them!

Beyond A World Apart by Caitlin E Myers is historical novella telling the story of queer, Irish siblings Cara and Ronan in 1920s Ireland and Berlin, and then 1930s Berlin. The plot covers the circumstances under which both siblings leave Ireland separately, their subsequent work at a Berlin Cabaret, and then the fall of the Weimar Republic/rise of the Nazis. There's a rich cast of side characters, particularly in the Berlin sections and I loved all the descriptions of the fashion that came with the main character being a seamstress. It really conveys a clear sense of queer identity and community (including weaving in the Hirschfeld Institute), but the time period and setting means you know that this is only ever a temporary reprieve for the characters. I felt like this was a teaser for a much longer book though and I wish there was more time dedicated to the final part where it felt like a lot happened in a really short span of text.

I just read an amazing historical fiction book that has it all. It has history, politics, the stage. Beyond a World Apart is a don’t miss book!