This book is the true story of the most remarkable escape tunnel under the Berlin Wall. Named Tunnel 29 because 29 people successfully escaped, this book draws upon not only the interviews of those students who devoted 5 months to digging it but also interviews with the survivors, thousands of pages of Stasi documents and the American News crew who documented the whole thing.
I've fallen into an obsession with the Berlin Wall. It happened in my time and I remember the wall coming down but have never delved into it before now. Out of all of the books, documentary's, movies, interviews etc that I have gone through I would say if you read nothing else, read this one. Helena captures the very essence of what those at the time period experienced - not just those involved in this tunnel escape, but how live was like on each side of the wall, how people had to make everyday decisions to survive in a paranoid society and if they made it over the wall, how the structure and everyday things in life they took for granted were challenging things in the free East. Its a fascinating look into Communism - what works, what doesn't, what it does to people and how for 30 years people existed in it. It makes you wonder about areas now that are experiencing it and how they are coping. It makes you grateful for the things we take for granted.
Not only would I recommend this novel but I would also follow it up by watching the documentary the book talks about. You can find it easily for free online. But read the book first.
