Going Over

It is February 1983, and Berlin is a divided city with a miles-long barricade separating east from west. But the city isn't the only thing that is divided. Ada lives among the rebels, punkers, and immigrants of Kreuzberg in West Berlin. Stefan lives in East Berlin, in a faceless apartment bunker of Friedrichshain. Bound by love and separated by circumstance, their only chance for a life together lies in a high-risk escape. But will Stefan find the courage to leap? Or will forces beyond his control stand in his way? National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart presents a story of daring and sacrifice, and love that will not wait. Teenagers in love are separated by the Berlin Wall in this “compelling [and] gripping” novel by the National Book Award finalist ( Kirkus Reviews ). It is February 1983, and Berlin is a divided city with a miles-long barricade separating east from west. But the city isn't the only thing that is divided. Graffiti artist Ada lives among the rebels, punkers, and immigrants of Kreuzberg in West Berlin. Stefan lives in East Berlin, in a faceless apartment bunker in Friedrichshain, where the population lives under the watchful eye of the secret police. Bound by love and separated by circumstance, their only chance for a life together lies in a high-risk escape. But will Stefan find the courage to leap? Or will forces beyond his control stand in his way? “An excellent example of historical fiction focusing on an unusual time period.” — School Library Journal (starred review) “Ada and Stefan are representative of the families, friends, and lovers separated and destroyed by the wall; their grandmothers serve as poignant reminders of the toll WWII took on the European population.” — Booklist (starred review) “An unforgettable portrayal of life and love divided . . . Captures the beauty and desperation of 1980s Berlin with prose both gripping and graceful.” —Ruta Sepetys, #1 New York Times –bestselling author of I Must Betray You In the early 1980s Ada and Stefan are young, would-be lovers living on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall--Ada lives with her mother and grandmother and paints graffiti on the Wall, and Stefan lives with his grandmother in the East and dreams of escaping to the West.