Going Over by Beth Kephart
Reviewed by: Genna Buhr, Public Services Manager
Genre: Historical Fiction
Suggested Age: Young Adult (although thoroughly enjoyed by this adult)
What is the book about?: In 1983, the city of Berlin was still divided by the Wall. 96 miles of concrete, barbed wire, mine fields, and other barriers encircled the city of West Berlin and made it an enclave in the socialist country of East Germany. Ada and Stefan, the main characters of the story, are in love, but also lead divided lives. West Berliner, rebel, and graffiti artist Ada only gets to visit Stefan, East Berliner and machinist, four times per year. She navigates her life, colored with an unstable home life, a job caring for the youngest members of an outcast immigrant community, and the desire to have Stefan as a permanent fixture in her days. Only a dangerous escape attempt would lead to the latter, but the courage and sacrifice to make it happen have to come from more than Stefan alone.
My review: This book takes a great look at the divided Berlin landscape that existed just six short years before the Wall came down in late 1989 . At the time of the story, the realistic possibility of it coming down wasn’t even a thought for those who lived in its shadow, and the young adults of the era had never known life without it. (Alternately, today’s young adult readers at which the story is aimed, have never known life with it.) While technically Ada is the “free” one, she, too, lives bound by the constraints of the Wall, the limitations of her circumstances, and the taboos of meshed societies. Stefan, while encompassed by the Wall, leads a more structured life and has to decide if he is willing to break the expectations made of him by others and by himself in order to achieve freedom and love.
I was drawn to this story mostly because of its setting. I lived for six months in Berlin in the late 1990s, occupying a flat in the former East. I shared the apartment with two women who grew up with the Wall and would have been just slightly older than Ada at the time in which Going Over is set. Having explored both sides of the city, I was really engaged with this story as I read it, recognizing places and situations as the author described them. That being said, first-hand experience of the city is not required to enjoy this book.
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!