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Forty Autumns : A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall by Nina Willner (2017, Trade Paperback)
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Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. Growing up near Washington.
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHarperCollins
ISBN-100062410326
ISBN-139780062410320
eBay Product ID (ePID)234993095
Product Key Features
Book TitleForty Autumns : a Family's Story of Courage and Survival on both Sides of the Berlin Wall
Number of Pages416 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicEurope / Germany, Personal Memoirs, Customs & Traditions, Essays
Publication Year2017
GenreSocial Science, Biography & Autobiography, Literary Collections, History
AuthorNina Willner
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height1.1 in
Item Weight13.9 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
ReviewsWillner's epic memoir traverses three generations of mothers, recounting the tragedy, estrangement, and overwhelming courage of a family torn apart…. Her interrogative and unabashed voice explores the painful intersection of national duty and familial responsibilities…. A thrilling and relevant read for historians and casual readers alike., "An excellent and intriguing account of the impact of the Cold War on families and their lives on either side of the Berlin Wall." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Willner's epic memoir traverses three generations of mothers, recounting the tragedy, estrangement, and overwhelming courage of a family torn apart.... Her interrogative and unabashed voice explores the painful intersection of national duty and familial responsibilities.... A thrilling and relevant read for historians and casual readers alike." -- Publishers Weekly Thoughtful and informative, Willner's book not only offers a personal view of the traumatic effects of German partition. It also celebrates the enduring resilience of the human spirit. A poignant and engrossing, occasionally harrowing, family memoir." -- Kirkus Reviews [A] moving account of one family's life under tyranny... Willner's sensitive and well-written account causes us to reflect on what is really important to us and how we would react in a similar situation." -- BookPage "This book is kind, honest, incredibly well-written, and important, a testament to humanity and courage." -- LitHub "[A] meticulous and compassionate family memoir... Charting the twists and turns of politics in communist East Germany over more than four decades, it shows how currents of repression and reform affected individual lives." -- Chicago Tribune " Forty Autumns is both an informative and timely read. In this increasingly tumultuous modern era when borders, both theoretical and physical, have once again become the front lines of critical issues such as immigration reform, pervasive prejudice and terrorism, stories like Willner's are especially important." -- BookReporter "Even if you well know the story of the East German sequester, you will be drawn to [Willner's] family story of living through the worst of times." -- Manhattan Book Review "A poignant parable of hope and, at times, a harrowing ghost story." -- Christian Science Monitor
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal943.1087
SynopsisIn this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family--of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedom--leaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family home--was heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own. Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hanna's daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relatives--grandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training team--a bitter political war kept them apart. In Forty Autumns , Nina recounts her family's story--five ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk. A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and love--of five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family. Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs., In this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedom leaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family home was heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own. Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hanna s daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relatives grandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training team a bitter political war kept them apart. In Forty Autumns , Nina recounts her family s story five ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk. A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and love of five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family. Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs. ", In this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family--of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedom--leaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family home--was heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own. Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hanna's daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relatives--grandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training team--a bitter political war kept them apart. In Forty Autumns, Nina recounts her family's story--five ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk. A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and love--of five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family. Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs.
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Sep 10, 2019
Excellent read! It opened my eyes to conditions in East Germany after WW11..
This book was great! Good condition and an excellent read! On the review page it won’t let me tap and give it five stars!Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- May 12, 2021
Fantastic Book
Awesome true story, I’ve visited the wall in 1974. I saw the memorial to Peter Fecter (the 18 year old gunned down seeking freedom from the Communist East.). I couldn’t put the book downVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Dec 22, 2020
FORTY AUTUMNS: A FAMILY'S STORY OF COURAGE AND SURVIVAL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BERLIN WALL
A well-written, compelling story is especially enjoyable and worth reading when it is true. It's very inspiring to read about people who deal with difficult and almost impossible circumstances with such courage and fortitude. I highly recommend this book.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Sep 14, 2021
A most amazing story of a family’s courage
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Nov 06, 2019
Forty Autumns
This should be required reading for everyone!!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jan 26, 2021
Recommend
Just as describedVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
