Secreats and Shadows by Roberta Silman

4/5

Berlin.

Wartime.

A City of secrets, secrets that destroyed Paul Bertram’s once-idyllic marriage secrets that have threatened to consume him secret that almost destroyed this very life. When the Berlin wall falls in 1989, Paul is finally compelled to confront his past seeking one last chance at redemption he is pulled back to the city where he and his family almost parish. But how? With whom? In his English Paul turns to his former wife, Eve, and together they embark on a journey they never could have envisioned a journey. During which he is able at last to reveal the awful truth is he has lived with for so long. A journey where he is able to face her own fears and floss flaws. In spare, compassionate prose, Roberta Silman has created vivid, resilient characters who learn that friendship and love can also mean humiliation and betrayal, that kind intentions can lead to unimagined evil. Her portrayal of the growing tension and terror in Berlin leading up to during the Second World War is unforgettable. She not only explores the many twists and turns of fate; she also shows how the atrocities of the Second World War can reverberate far into the future, long after actual events.

Through truth and triumph, Secrets and Shadows is a dark and raw story of war that captures your mind and drags you through the shattered walls and broken windows. You walk through the lives that are dependent on stability but when there is none, we meet a fierce and unforgettable team. Paul and Eve. Taking a dive through history and devouring the hardships of war first hand, the long married, now divorced, team finds themselves battling for survival and praising their insightful journey in this compelling story.

Following Paul and Eve’s passionate journey, you can feel the emotions through every sentence. The description of their old house, the black and white trim that canvased the walls. The reader felt as if they were walking right alongside the raw life that was Berlin. I was engrossed in their relationship as you watch the two grow again together as they did before. The history is portrayed as passionate, raw and genuine. Secrets and Shadows is a great example of intelligence and remarkable secrets hidden in every corner.

I rated this book a 4/5 simply because it was an amazing and compelling read but I did find some of the content repetitive and lacked description. I loved the historical aspect and learning about the characters as you watched them grow before your eyes.