A Night Divided

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Scott County Library paperback 317 pages, plus extras (author interview, notes, timeline, etc.)

Published: 2015

Genre: YA historical fiction (Berlin wall, Cold War)

I read bits and pieces of this when I was subbing in sixth grade a few weeks ago and decided I wanted to read the whole book. It was well written and I am interested in reading other Nielsen titles. 

Gerta and her brother Fritz are in East Berlin with their mother when the wall goes up overnight on August 13, 1961. Her father and brother Dominic are in the West.

I loved the quotations at the start of each chapter. I liked the characters and the story development.

Page 42: "It was wise advice, though I never could stop my thoughts from coming. They just did, all the time. Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough to stop them. I knew I wasn't."

When her friend Anna tells her not to ask or even think questions about wanting to go to the West, Gerta knows that her mind is not going to stop. Our minds are so powerful! It makes me wonder at how people can convince themselves to be brainwashed. The questions of those who wanted to get out of East Berlin make so much sense! If the East is superior, why are we fenced in and not allowed to leave?

Page 67: "I felt like a disease. Just as my father had infected me, I could now infect others. But with what? Courage to speak out? To act? To think and question and believe what I wanted to believe? Somehow I lived in a world where these were bad things."

When Anna tells Gerta she can no longer be her friend, I know it's because of the intimidation of the secret police. How sad it would be to live in a time and a place which makes you question every word, thought, and action. 

Page 105: ". . . it was far too dangerous for me to dig. Because every centimeter I clawed in there put me one step farther inside the Death Strip. If I went too far, I'd - . . . If I went too far, I'd end up in the west. The truth crashed into me like I'd just tumbled through waves of the ocean."

I love when she had the realization of what her dad had tried to communicate about digging! 

Page 188: "'What about the people who want to hold those guns?' I asked.

'I don't pray for them,' he said. 'I can't.'

And I decided in that very same moment that I would. Somebody had to."

I love when Fritz and Gerta were able to have conversations about life and their plans. What a great brother and sister team they were! There was plenty of conflict between them, but also teamwork.

Page 190: "Some people use capitalism to help themselves and let the rest suffer for it."

It's interesting in talking about communism, socialism, capitalism, etc. . . . the reasons people have for doing what they do matters. Some capitalists are greedy and uncaring. Others are more interested in the greater good. Fritz is holding Gerta accountable for her motivations and actions. To be fair, she is young, hungry, and wishing for a better life!