Forty autumns : a family's story of courage and survival on both sides of the Berlin Wall Cover Image

Book

Forty autumns : a family's story of courage and survival on both sides of the Berlin Wall / Nina Willner.

Willner, Nina, 1961- (author.).

Summary:

"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."

Record details

ISBN: 9780062410313
ISBN: 0062410318
Physical Description: xxii, 391 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2016]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Family and historical chronology -- Family tree -- PART ONE -- The handover : end of war (1945) -- An iron curtain descends : cold war begins (1945-1946) -- "If you want to get out, do it soon" : close calls and escapes (1946-1948) -- Flight : a small suitcase and the final escape (August 11, 1948) -- PART TWO -- Two castles : out of the whirlwind (1948-1949) -- A sister born in the East : the Stasi takes control (1949-1952) -- "We want to be free" : a workers' uprising (1953) -- The visit : sisters meet (1954) -- Life normalizes in a police state : a courtship (1955-1957) -- The fur coat : last meeting (1958-1959) -- PART THREE -- "A wall will keep the enemy out" : a wall to keep the people in (1960-1961) -- The family wall : Oma's faith and Opa's defiance (1962-1965) -- Only Party members succeed : "We have each other" (1966-1969) -- A message with no words : Oma's love from afar (1970-1974) -- Dissidents and troublemakers : Opa committed (1975-1977) -- A light shines : "Our souls are free" (1977) -- A surprise from America : innocence (1978-1980) -- Paradise bungalow : refuge and solace (1980-1982) -- PART FOUR -- Assignment: Berlin : intelligence operations (1982-1984) -- Face-to-face with Honecker : mission in Ludwigslust (1984-1985) -- Beyond the Checkpoint : passage (1985) -- Imagine : the road ahead (1986) -- "Tear down this wall" : winds of change (1987-1988) -- "Gorby, save us!" : a nation crumbles (1989) -- The world is stunned : "Schabowski said we can!" or The Wall falls (November 9, 1989) -- Dawn : TK (Autumn 1989) -- Reunion and rebirth : TK (1990- 2013) -- Epilogue.