Audiobook Review: The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham (narrated by Charlie Norfolk & Hattie Ladbury)

The Girl Behind the Wall is written from the perspective of two sisters: Jutta, who is in West Berlin, and Karin, who happens to be hospitalized in what becomes East Berlin when the wall goes up and is not allowed to return to her family in the West. The sisters’ stories unfold along with history, as Berlin settles into life as a split city, one democratic and free; the other, ruled by communism and fear.

Most of the novel takes place between 1961 – 1963 and brings to life the rollercoaster of emotions faced by countless people who lived in East and West Berlin during this time period, personified by Karin and Jutta’s stories. It’s equal parts unsettling, emotional, and heartbreaking, yet I had to listen to the very end, to see how the sisters’ stories are resolved, and Karin and Jutta remained on my mind long after the book ended.

This audiobook has two narrators, which helps differentiate between the sisters, even though each chapter clearly depicts whose story is being told. Charlie Norfolk and Hattie Ladbury are excellent at bringing each woman to life, and I look forward to listening to more books narrated by these talented actresses.

This is the first novel by Mandy Robotham I’ve experienced. It won’t be the last.

The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham. Narrated by Charlie Norfolk and Hattie Ladbury. Publisher: Avon. Publication date: July 6, 2021