Through the Wall

Twelve-year-old Hansi must find his way through the Berlin Wall—the concrete wall topped with barbed wire that callously divides the German people. It is his parents' wish.

Determined to escape from communist-controlled East Berlin, to safety and freedom in West Berlin, Hansi searches for the right spot and the right moment, although he's gripped by both fear and hunger. His father has been unjustly shipped to Siberia by the People's Police, his mother is gone. 

The conflict between East and West Berlin, of the German people divided, illustrates the difference between democracies of the free world and the communist world controlled by Russia. With realism and understanding, Alida Sims Malkus writes of this historical 1960s event which is not often mentioned in children's literature.

The events in this book take place starting in the summer of 1962, less than a year after construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961, by the East German government. 1962 is also when the author wrote this novel.

Original illustrations by Victor A. Prezio, and a two page map of East-West Berlin by Charles E. Pont. I've updated the map so the flow of the River Spree, the Teltow Canal, and the Havel River are more accurate. The layout is crucial to the story and the map should match the author's words, since her description is correct! The changes were based on a map of Berlin that was printed circa 1965-1968. Image credit to Boston Rare Maps.