100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀 Thank you for supporting our 100% NZ-owned store ❤️

The Girl Behind the Wall

3.97 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 7,040 ratings, 740 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham is a gripping historical fiction set against the backdrop of a divided Berlin during the Cold War. The novel follows the lives of twins Jutta and Karin, suddenly separated by the construction of the Berlin Wall. As they grapple with their enforced separation, they each embark on unique journeys filled with challenges, secrets, and resilience, navigating a world overshadowed by political tension and familial bonds.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2299
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this gripping historical fiction if you're intrigued by stories set during the Cold War, especially those that explore divided Berlin. The narrative weaves family loyalty, resilience, and the tension of living on opposite sides of the wall, capturing both historical events and emotional depth. Readers who appreciate strong character development amidst a backdrop of political turmoil will find this a compelling read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

“A poignant, tender story of families and sisters divided by the cruelty of political chance–my heart ached for them on every page." Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

The utterly gripping new novel from the internationally bestselling author of World War 2 historical fiction

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

“A poignant, tender story of families and sisters divided by the cruelty of political chance–my heart ached for them on every page." Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

A city divided.
When the Berlin Wall goes up, Karin is on the wrong side of the city. Overnight, she’s trapped under Soviet rule in unforgiving East Berlin and separated from her twin sister, Jutta.

Two sisters torn apart.
Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives for years, cut off by the Wall. But Karin finds one reason to keep going: Otto, the man who gives her hope, even amidst the brutal East German regime.

One impossible choice…
When Jutta finds a hidden way through the wall, the twins are reunited. But the Stasi have eyes everywhere, and soon Karin is faced with a terrible decision: to flee to the West and be with her sister, or sacrifice it all to follow her heart?

From the USA Today and internationally bestselling WWII novelist of The German Midwife, The Secret Messenger, and The Berlin Girl comes a story set at the dawn of the Cold War in Berlin.

Why readers love The Girl Behind the Wall:

I was captivated from the very first chapter. It was so well written, I felt like I was really there… A must read.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Oh my goodness, what a page-turner. My heart was in my mouth for most of this book.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

‘Such a fast-paced read! Historical fiction at its best! Highly, highly recommend.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Another fabulous read from the super talented Mandy Robotham who never fails to give us a satisfying story… she has the ability to mix a damn good story with historical facts... you want to read and read… I raced through this one.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

What a truly gripping read! I didn't want to stop reading, I was mesmerised.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

I couldn’t put this book down… well-researched and a heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of the families separated by the wall. Keep the tissues handy because you might need them.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

What a read. I found myself thinking of the family in the book as real people I loved. If you read only one book this year, make sure it’s this one!’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Mandy Robotham has a gift for making history come alive. Amazing read. I simply could not put it down.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Beautifully written and heartfelt… I loved it… A story that will stay with you. Well worth a read.’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Another winner from Mandy Robotham!’ – NetGalley Reviewer

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008364533

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: AVON, a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 290g

Pages: 416

About the Author

Mandy Robotham has been an aspiring author since the age of nine, but was waylaid by journalism and later enticed by birth. She's now a practising midwife who writes about birth, death, love and everything else in between. She graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. This is her first novel.

Also by Mandy Robotham

View all
  • The German Midwife
    An enthralling tale from the #1 Globe and Mail and USA Today Best Selling Author. “A powerful, haunting debut”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network An enthralling new tale of courage, betrayal and survival in the hardest of circumstances that readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Secret Orphan and The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    Backorder
    Ships late August
  • The Secret Messenger
    The highly awaited new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The German Midwife (also published as A Woman of War). Venice, 1943The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion’s den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The War Pianist
    Two cities. Two spies. Which woman survives? Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code. July, 1940 Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or pianist – for...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Dangerous Game
    International bestselling author Mandy Robotham returns with a brand new tale set in 1950s London. ‘A gripping story of revenge, guilt and redemption, sweetened by love.’ Daisy Wood, author of The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris ‘A truly brilliant read—I couldn’t put it down!’ Suzanne Kelman, author of The Bookseller of Paris London, 1952. Seven years after the chaotic aftermath of...
    Paperback
    $2699
    Backorder
    Ships late August
  • The Berlin Girl
    The heart-wrenching and unforgettable tale of a world on the brink of war from the internationally bestselling author of The German Midwife. Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Hidden Storyteller
    International bestselling author Mandy Robotham returns with a brand new tale set in war-torn Germany.The war is over. But there are still secrets to be found amidst the ashes … Hamburg, 1946The war is over, and Germany is in ruins. Posted to an Allied-run Hamburg, reporter Georgie Young returns to the country she fled seven years prior – at the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Resistance Girl
    Norway, 1942: She has lost everything to the Nazis. But now she fights back… War rages, and, under cover of darkness, Rumi Orlstad and her fellow resistance fighters smuggle British agents, fugitives and supplies across the North Sea into Nazi-occupied territory. One night, when he braves a storm to complete an ill-fated mission, Rumi’s fiancé is lost to the dangerous...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    Backorder
    Ships late August
  • The Compass
    Pre-order
    The Compass
    June, 1976. Western Europe is caught in the grip of a relentless and sweltering heatwave. In London, the summer marks a milestone of a different kind for Edie - a decade married to the love of her life, and their first child on the way. But on the night that she plans to tell Joe their news, he doesn't come...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Pre-order
    Out 25 Aug 2026
  • A Dangerous Game
    International bestselling author Mandy Robotham returns with a brand new tale set in 1950s London. ‘A gripping story of revenge, guilt and redemption, sweetened by love.’ Daisy Wood, author of The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris ‘A truly brilliant read—I couldn’t put it down!’ Suzanne Kelman, author of The Bookseller of Paris London, 1952. Seven years after the chaotic aftermath of...
    Sold Out
  • A Woman of War
    For readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Kate Furnivall comes a gritty tale of courage, betrayal and love in the most unlikely of places. Also published as The German Midwife. ‘A powerful, haunting debut’ Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network ‘Incredibly powerful, harrowing but ultimately uplifting. I couldn’t put this down.’ Katie Fforde, author...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Historical Fiction

View all
  • New Release
    The Parisian Chapter
    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library and The Librarians of Rue de Picardie comes a charming and cinematic novel following a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter.'Stirring and rich with detail' New York Times...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Inferno
    AD 60. Nero Claudius Caesar is Emperor. He is feared for his temper. He is known to be intoxicated by the power he wields. And why not? The Roman Empire stretches from the wilds of Britain to the deserts of Parthia. Nero is god of all he surveys. Yet dangerous traitors lie close at hand. Generals commanding legions. Senators whispering...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Circle of Days
    From the master of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world's greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge. A FLINT MINER WITH A GIFT Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Soldier's Daughter
    The heart-stopping new blockbuster by the bestselling author of The Fallen Woman. Violet Nash has grown up in the shadows of her father Charlie's shattered dreams. It's been years since he walked away from the battlefields of France, a WWI hero but his heart in tatters, only to see it broken all over again in the worst way possible. In...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Girl with the Suitcase
    The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author. London 1941 When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth, she realises their lives couldn't be more different. But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground, Mary's life is set to change forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Lost Bookshop
    Evie Woods' stunning new novel The Story Collector is available now. The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. ‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’ On a quiet street in...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • All the Diamonds in Paris
    Kristin Harmel is firmly in the top echelon of WW2 storytellers - HEATHER MORRIS A master storyteller - SANTA MONTEFIORE The best at sweeping historical drama - KELLY HARMS A dazzling diamond of a novel - HAZEL GAYNOR * Paris, 1942: Anabel Martinet is a jewel thief, descended from a family that has spent centuries stealing from the unkind and...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Listeners
    ‘By turns a beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage. A marvel of storytelling’ CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of All the Colours of the Dark The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss'...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Song of Achilles
    The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a brilliantly crafted retelling of the ancient Greek epic of Achilles and Patroclus, transforming the classical myth into a profoundly moving love story. Set against the richly depicted backdrop of Greece during the heroically tumultuous age, the narrative follows Patroclus, an awkward and exiled young prince, who is taken to the court...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Cardinal
    Step into the thrill and intrigue of Tudor England in the rich, compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir. Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else BARBARA ERSKINE AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE. It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to...
    Paperback
    $3300
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Mythos
    Mythos by Stephen Fry is a compelling retelling of the classic Greek myths, reimagined with a wit and elegance that only Fry can deliver. This volume transports the reader to a world where mortals intertwine with the divine, and the timeless tales unfold in a spellbinding narrative that captures the imagination. From the cosmogony—the birth of the cosmos—to the exploits...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Four Winds
    Kristin Hannah is a classic storyteller and The Four Winds sees her at the top of her game - Matt Haig Powerful and compelling - Delia Owens, number one international bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing A story of love, family, unbreakable bonds, bravery and hope. I loved this book so much! - Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.