You won’t want to put down Jennifer A. Nielsen’s ‘Night Divided’

“A NIGHT DIVIDED,” by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Scholastic Press, Aug. 25, 2015, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)

In case you hadn’t already noticed by my previous reviews of her books, I’m a fan of Jennifer A. Nielsen. She creates worlds that pull you in, and her writing keeps getting better. Nothing is more evident of that than her new book, “A Night Divided,” which is a departure from her more fantastical imaginings.

“A Night Divided” opens on Sunday, Aug. 13, 1961, the day East Berliners woke up to a wall surrounding them. With the rise of the wall overnight many families find themselves divided. Gerta’s family is among them. Gerta, her mother and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home.

Four years pass. Gerta is now 12, and the Berlin Wall has become a new sort of normal. Most children don’t even notice the wall anymore. Not Gerta. She knows it’s dangerous to watch the wall; to think of a life of freedom; to think of her father and brother. But how can she not? It’s hard to ignore soldiers with their guns trained on neighbors walking down the street and children playing in their yards.

One day as Gerta is walking to school she notices her brother on a viewing platform on the western side. Then her father joins him. It’s amazing to see them after four long years, but Gerta is puzzled when she sees her father pantomime a peculiar dance. Soon after, Gerta receives a strange drawing. It must be from her father, but why send her a drawing? It’s then that Gerta connects the two instances, concluding her father wants her to dig a tunnel beneath the wall.

Gerta can’t complete the task on her own and recruits Fritz to help her, but digging is dangerous. Not only could the tunnel collapse, but worse, they could be discovered and executed on the spot. Gerta and her family must decide if reuniting is worth their lives.

When I was in school, history was jam packed at the beginning, but we always seemed to run out of time by the 1940s. We’d finish up World War II and rush through the rest of the century. Because of that, the Cold War era has always felt a little impersonal to me. I was 9 when the wall fell. I remember seeing people in tears on the TV, but I didn’t really understand it. That’s why I’m glad books like “A Night Divided” have and are being written. With “A Night Divided” the era is brought to life.

The plot of “A Night Divided” is perfect for a movie, book or play. You couldn’t ask for better. But what really makes it work is Jennifer’s ability to build and maintain tension. She masterfully creates a tone that pushes the reader forward, almost willing you to turn page after page after page. That combined with flawed but likeable characters makes this book a winner.