Child of the Ruins

People are disappearing. I spoke to my neighbour yesterday, we laughed at some nonsense, and today he is gone. We only discovered he was missing because the dog wouldn't stop howling and we all knew he would never leave his beloved pet. So I am careful, extremely careful.

I used to live in Berlin, on Prenzlauer Allee.

Now I live in East Berlin, still on Prenzlauer Allee.

To many it may seem a difference scarcely worth mentioning, one small extra word added. But to me it is the difference between night and day, between life and death. In East Berlin no one trusts anybody any more.

Two families divided by war.

A entire city on the edge of disaster.

1948, Berlin. Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and a city of two million people is trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive. Anna and Ingrid are very different women resorting to very different ways to survive. But they both need to find those they love and, to do that, find a way to escape from Berlin.

Praise for kate Furnivall's writing:

'Kate Furnivall has a talent for creating places and characters who stay with you long after you have read the final word' JANE CORRY

'Hugely ambitious and atmospheric' KATE MOSSE

'Perfect escapist reading' MARIE CLAIRE

'Fast-paced with a sinister edge' THE TIMES

'Thrilling, compelling, wonderful!' LESLEY PEARSE

I was blown away not just by the gripping story, which had my heart thumping at times, but the sheer eloquence of writing. It is a story of the strength of the human spirit, and of love which will not be defeated. I know I will be recommending it to everyone LESLEY PEARSE
An impressively researched, powerfully emotional tale of two women surviving post-war Berlin . . . Child of the Ruins will have you gripped in suspense from the first line to the last LOUISE CANDLISH
In Kate's inimitable style we are immediately drawn into this impeccably researched and terrifying period of history. Stunning from the very first line, this is a masterclass in historical fiction writing. An absolute triumph! DINAH JEFFERIES
An absolutely stunning book from the Queen of Historical Fiction. Emotional, powerful, meticulously researched, sharp writing, just wonderful LOUISE SWANSON
There is only one word to describe Child of the Ruins and that is awesome. It is compelling and evocative, thrilling and yet hugely touching. Kate Furnivall has really steeped herself in the period and faced the horrors of those times. I congratulate her DILLY COURT
An extraordinarily tense and gripping story set in a city brought to its knees in the aftermath of war, where life is cheap and crusts of bread are currency. The plotting is ingenious and the writing beautifully atmospheric GILL PAUL
Unforgettable characters negotiate desperate times in this vivid, brave and suspenseful novel set in the chaos of war torn Berlin. The final twist made me gasp! RACHEL HORE
Gripping from the very first page, Child of the Ruins is a powerful and emotionally intense reminder that heartache and hardship linger long after a war ends. Highly recommend! TERESA DRISCOLL
I have just finished reading Child of the Ruins and now I am bereft. Such an emotionally powerful and compelling story, told with skill and impeccable research. I was immersed from beginning to end ROSANNA LEY
Each page and each word made me feel as though I was in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, alongside a mother searching for her son. Kate Furnivall has a gift for description, heartbreak and joy. I defy anyone not to read beyond the first killer sentence' JANE CORRY
Atmospheric and compelling CAROL McGRATH
A harrowing and compelling portrait of Berlin in the aftermath of World War Two, told through the interconnecting stories of two courageous women struggling to survive in the rubble of their war-torn city FIONA VALPY
A beautifully written and atmospheric portrayal of life in Berlin in the aftermath of WW2, with exquisitely-drawn characters and a storyline that is both powerful and heart-breaking. Kate has become one of my favourite writers and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next B.A. PARIS
Brilliantly written and incredibly moving. I was gripped from the first page MILLY JOHNSON

Kate Furnivall is the author of twelve novels, including THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE, THE LIBERATION and THE GUARDIAN OF LIES. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been on the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists. She lives in Devon.

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