Walls by L. M. Elliott
"Welcome to Berlin."
Current headlines include these concepts: borders, walls, refugees, family separations, authoritarian regimes. informants, and asylum seekers. These issues are not new. They were on the minds of people during the years following World War II. Walls introduces young readers to the politics and intrigue behind a wall that was created sixty years ago as a guarded barrier, physically and ideologically dividing Berlin. This fictional account of events begins in August 1960 and culminates with initial construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. Fifteen-year-old Drew McMahon and his family relocate to Berlin for his father’s next military duty assignment. They reside in the zone occupied by America. Drew’s mother views this as an opportunity reconnect with her German relatives. She introduces her family to their German cousin Matthias who lives in the Soviet Union Sector. Initially, both boys appear to have little in common. Drew plays baseball and is an "army brat." Matthias is a skillful soccer player who pledged to take up arms against NATO. |