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Forty Autumns
Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall | Nina Willner
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 familyof five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedomleaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family homewas heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own. Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hannas daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relativesgrandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training teama bitter political war kept them apart. In Forty Autumns, Nina recounts her familys storyfive ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk. A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and loveof five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family. Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs.
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MelKelsey
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Mehso-so

Book 4

I listened to Forty Autumns thinking it was historical fiction; it's actually the author's family's story. I learned a lot about the Cold War and think more fiction should be written with it as the setting. Most of the characters were very flat, making it hard to love the book. ⭐⭐⭐

megnews I would love to read more HF from this time period as well. 3y
22 likes1 comment
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kimmypete1
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Mailed my #FallingForFallSwap yesterday! (Sorry for the lame picture!)

Expected arrival date is 8/30!

@Avanders

Avanders Woohoo! 🧡🍁🍂🧡🍁🍂 3y
18 likes1 comment
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Cathern
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Pickpick

This was so interesting! Not the spy novel I expected but a great saga of a family dealing with the separation the Berlin Wall brought. This is an excellent book for someone wanting learn a rather thorough history of East Germany from 1945-1990. Something I knew of but hadn't truly learned about. If you wanted to do a book report on the topic this is a perfrct read for that.

Bookwormjillk I really enjoyed this book 4y
Cathern Yeah! It was very unique 4y
5 likes2 comments
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Sreckess
Pickpick

An important story to share about what happens when your mom escapes over the Berlin Wall and leaves her whole family behind. The author doesn‘t give herself much license to write in a literary style - no conversations recreated, no real plot to speak of, etc. But still. When the family reunites 40 yrs later I cried. I liked how the author interwove East German history throughout and I learned a lot. Can I call it a so-so pick?

3 likes1 stack add
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TheSpineView
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I am ready for autumn. Looking forward to the first day I can start a fire and snuggle under a blanket and read the day away. 🍁📚

Nute Nice! 5y
rather_be_reading me too!! 5y
76 likes3 comments
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Eggs
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Day in Autumn
BY RAINER MARIA RILKE
TRANSLATED BY MARY KINZIE

#autumn
#poetrymatters
@TheSpineView

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Eggs
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Found on my midday walk today and I had to collect some and spread on the kitchen table. So festive

rather_be_reading gorgeous! 6y
Eggs @rather_be_reading Thank you ❣️ 6y
86 likes2 comments
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Eggs
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Jee_HookedOnBookz My oh my! That spot looks so darn comfy!! 6y
JoScho No wonder you get so many books read 😘 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Lots of books get read in that chair!!! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 6y
Eggs LoL you got it baby!! The Magic chair my friends ❤️💖❤️. @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @JoScho @Jee_HookedOnBookz (edited) 6y
vkois88 I'd love a cozy reading spot like that! 6y
84 likes5 comments
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Judybskt
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There‘s a #fffs box on the way to someone! 🍂🎃💛🧡🍁🧡💛🎃🍁🍂

Thanks for organizing @Avanders Can‘t wait for 9/21 #fallingforfallswap

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Rissreads
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Pickpick

I finished listening to this yesterday, what a fantastic memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I‘m quite embarrassed about how little I knew of the Berlin Wall and this part of history. This story caused me to get a lump in my throat a few times in sadness and happiness. I love books that make me feel something and learn something at the same time.

MrsMalaprop Ooh, this looks interesting. 6y
12 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Insightsintobooks
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This sounds interesting and its 416 pages. 😀

#kindledeal #kindledeals #ebooksale

KarouBlue Loved loved loved this book! Highly recommend! 6y
Insightsintobooks @MellieAntoinete I'd never heard of it before today, I randomly came across it searching Amazon and it sounded good. I hope I like it as much as you do. 6y
58 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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TheSketchyReader
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1. Mork and Mindy. 2. Forty Autumns. 3. Anything with curry in it. 4. Reading the latest Flavia de Luce murder mystery. 5. #friyayintro ❤️ ❤️ 💜 💕 💕 💗 love. Thanks for hosting @jesshowbooks

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Betty
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@TheBookHippie so many thanks!! These 4 books will be thoroughly enjoyed along with the Reading Log. I saw a slab of the Berlin Wall a few years ago in Germany. And the goodies! Oh the goodies! During the photography session the dog tried to steal the socks and peppermint patties. I had to lock him up so that I could take a picture. You're awesome. And I loved reading about your activities here on Litsy! #ssgp #secretsantagoespostal

TheBookHippie Yay!!!!! 7y
Cinfhen 😍 7y
MrBook Ooh! 😁👍🏻👍🏻 7y
79 likes3 comments
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ReadingisMyPassion
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Pickpick

Exquisite writing! I loved this book. Nonfiction but reads like a novel. Kept me in suspense. A true story of survival. And that piece of rock in the photo? It‘s a small piece of the Berlin Wall given to me by a friend.

SilversReviews I heard so many good things about this book. 7y
ReadingisMyPassion My book group loved it. Have loaned my book out a couple of times and they loved it too. 7y
3 likes2 comments
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bookshopsc
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Pickpick

A powerful memoir that follows one family separated by the Berlin Wall and kept apart for forty years by the Cold War. Five extraordinary women across three generations all lead disparate lives — a matriarch, a dreamer, a rebel, an Army Intelligence officer, an Olympic athlete — but each exhibit incredible bravery and resilience to protect what matters most: their family. - Kelly

wanderlustforwords Wow! It sounds amazing! I'm going to look it up. 7y
27 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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MyNamesParadise
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Just won this in a #Goodreads #giveaway! Looks fascinating! Don't know when I'll ever get to read it with my first full-time job keeping me so busy, but excited nevertheless!

EvieBee This is I think my top read for 2017. 7y
SilversReviews I heard it was so good. Thanks for the confirmation, @EvieBee (edited) 7y
21 likes3 comments
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GAustin
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Pickpick

I loved this one. I enjoy a book that entertains as much as it is enlightening. Couldn't put it down.

EvieBee I did too! I think it's so far my favorite 2017 read. 7y
GAustin @EvieBee -We are on the same page. Definitely will be in my top ten. 7y
2 likes2 comments
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Eggs
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Pickpick

The photo is 1961, before concrete and razor wire was erected to become the Wall. Such a great and heartbreaking story.
"Let parents bequeath to their children no riches, but the spirit of reverence." -Plato

9 likes1 stack add
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emleonard
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My companion for this late commute. What a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking read.

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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

I loved this book! Amazing family story and history of East Germany during the Cold War.

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EllieDottie
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#aseasoninthetitle from my tbr! It looked super interesting and I'm trying to read more non-fiction! #marchintoreading

54 likes2 stack adds
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EvieBee
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Pickpick

"What will become of a country when a mother cannot even trust her own children, and they, in turn, cannot trust their own families?"

Loved this book so much! Not sure what Kirkus thought, but I would suggest "buying" this and just trusting that it will be a great reading experience. The story of a family caught behind the wall after the fall of the Nazi regime. Determined to keep their dignity and close family bonds despite a dismal future.

69 likes4 stack adds
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EvieBee
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"With prison packed to the breaking point, Honecker found a way to rid the country of 'undesirables' and at the same time make money. He sold East Germans to the West. In the West, human rights activists collected donations to try to free East German political prisoners...At $14,000 to $60,000 a head, hundreds of thousands were ransomed across for money or goods. The regime then sold the goods on the world market for hard currency..."

EvieBee "All told, earnings topped $1 billion, ill-gotten gains from a massive human trafficking scheme that ultimately helped East Germany avoid bankruptcy and kept the twisted regime afloat." #currentlyreading 8y
AmandaL I had no idea! 8y
EvieBee @AmandaL such a sad historical fact. This book has been so enlightening. I didn't realize how little I knew about East Germany. 8y
See All 6 Comments
LeahBergen What?! 8y
LeeRHarry This looks fascinating! 8y
EvieBee @LeeRHarry It has been a great read. Will probably finish it tonight. 8y
61 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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EvieBee
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Wow! This book has been so enlightening! East Germany was a hellish place to live. Reminds me of Do Not Say We Have Nothing. #currentlyreading

Notafraidofwords Scary 😳 8y
Moray_Reads Have you ever read Stasiland by Anna Funder? It's an excellent investigation of the GDR 8y
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EvieBee @Moray_Reads No but just read the synopsis and it sounds great. My library doesn't have a copy so I'll have to buy it. Thank you! 8y
LeeRHarry @EvieBee84 @Moray_Reads I thought Stasiland was fantastic too and hard to believe that it was all happening really not that long ago. 8y
EvieBee @LeeRHarry that's the scary part, isn't it? I ordered a copy of Stasiland already. Can't wait for it to arrive. 8y
61 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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EvieBee
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What a great first sentence. Enjoying this so far. #currentlyreading #nonfiction

readinginthedark Sounds great! 8y
Buddys_Momma Speak!👍🏽 8y
EvieBee @readinginthedark @Buddys_Momma Mos def! Can already recommend. Stayed up way too late reading. (edited) 8y
56 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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kedupre
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I love, I love, I LOVE the bingo reading challenge. Let's do this! #LitsyReadingChallenge

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kedupre
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Pickpick

Amazing. Three generations on two sides of the Iron Curtain. Very poignant and intimate

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Bookwormjillk
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It was cool to run across a piece of the Berlin Wall so soon after reading Forty Autumns.

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Hooked_on_books
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Here's my #bookhaul from the Cannon Beach Book Company today! It's a great store and this doesn't violate my bookish resolutions because I used one of my Christmas gift cards. 😬 I then popped over to the post office and sent off my latest #owlpost to @Soubhiville ! @WordWaller chose a good one! Should be there Friday or Saturday. #getindie

WordWaller Aw, yay! I hope you liked it! 8y
Soubhiville Yaaayyy! 👏👏👏 8y
RealBooks4ever Yay Cannon Beach Book Company! 💜 8y
[DELETED] 3323341091 Forty Autumns is damn good. 8y
52 likes1 stack add4 comments
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NicoleCeBallos
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Pickpick

I cannot say enough good things about this book. it was wonderful. I would say it's the best book I've read this year. I was blown away by it. It sucked me in from the first page and before I knew it, it was 2 am. It was an emotional read.

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NicoleCeBallos
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Just some light reading

cathysaid I'd love to hear what you think about this book. 🤔 8y
NicoleCeBallos @cathysaid it was absolutely wonderful. I couldn't put it down. 8y
cathysaid Yay! It's on my list; now I'll move it up to the top. 8y
3 likes3 comments
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cathysaid
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Has anyone read this book yet? Any thoughts? Looks interesting... #nonfictionnovember

10 likes1 stack add