Customer Reviews

Trudy's Promise

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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Author Preston never ceases to entertain with vivid characters and eloquent prose. Trudy's Promise is a trip back into a period of history that could easily slip away and be forgotten. Instead, Preston puts you smack in the middle of East Berlin and all of a sudden you are experiencing history.I could feel the cold and the growing fear and then the desperate sense of loss at having to leave little Stefan. Trudy's Promise delivers a story of unparalleled courage and determination, and a love that time cannot diminish. The reader can't help but root for Trudy--she captures the heart.If the true measure of a "good book" is one that you hate to see end, then Trudy's Promise ranks at the top of the list. Preston has scored a solid winner with this story

Ms. Preston has delivered another great read. I believe that this is her best work to date. Her writing style is so eloquent and expressive, and her characters grab you from the beginning and never let you go. From the very first page to the nail biting ending, you will never lose interest in the wonderful story or the fates of the wonderful characters contained within. I see a movie in the future but one wonders if it can be half as good as this wonderful book. Well worth your purchase and your time.

I am always searching for ways to get my high school students to read. As a history teacher, I also try and find ways to bring history alive for my students. This book does both. Sometimes there are parts of great books that keep me from recommending them to my students. Even though this is a book written for adults, there is nothing inappropriate for teenagers. One such student told me recently that it is now her favorite book.

In October 1962, Rolf Hulst has mix feelings about swimming to the safety of West Berlin as he leaves behind in the Russian controlled East his beloved wife Trudy, their baby Stefan, and his aging all alone mother. However, if he stayed he also knows he risks their lives even more than if he leaves from stray bullets targeting him. As he is shot while making his escape, he wonders if his best friend Wolgang, an East German policeman, pulled the trigger. Struggling to stay conscious on the western side he writes in blood on a wall "Trudy, endlich frei" (Trudy, finally free).

The Stasi has no qualms about interrogating new mothers using torture to obtain answers as they demand Trudy tell them where Rolf is hiding. Wolfgang helps Trudy escape to the west, but she is forced to leave behind her son and his maternal grandmother. She learns that Rolf died, but has no time to grieve. She obtains a waitressing job and lives in a dump to save money to fulfill her promise to herself that she can one day bring over her family. In Late June 1963, as the American president claims "Ich bin ein Berliner", a member of his retinue arranges for Trudy to come to the States even while Wolfgang's career is over because of his childhood ties to Rolf.

This is an engaging historical thriller that brings to life the Cold War period just after the Berlin Wall is erected; interestingly with what has happened since this era feels like ancient history. The tale looks closely at the suffering of the East Berliners under iron strict Communist rule backed by the Soviet military, but it is Trudy's adjustments to living in the States that make the tale. She is an outsider trying her best to be assimilated while wondering whether she will ever see Stefan again. Readers will appreciate this strong look back to one of the most explosive periods of the Cold War.

Harriet Klausner

This tender story begins with strong-willed and principled Rolf defecting from East Berlin and leaving behind his wife and child in hopes that they'll join him later. His wife, Trudy's determination to move her family to West Berlin drives the rest of the story with emotional insights. As the reader, I found her fearless determination courageous and admirable, yet scary at the same time. Author Marcia Preston does a good job helping the reader to identify with Trudy and her actions. When she describes Trudy's trek through the tunnel to West Berlin, I could well imagine the humility of having someone tuck my skirt into my underwear to keep it out of the way. I could almost feel the sting of scraped knees from crawling through the dirty, rocky passage. She continues with pictorial descriptions of Trudy's shabby clothes and meager living arrangements on the west side. Not only are her descriptions vivid, but she brings to life the real history of communist Germany in the early `60s. The real focus of the story shows how strong a mother's love is and how far she'll go to be reunited with her son without compromising her principles. This was a wonderful story that I will not soon forget.

Trudy's Promise starts with a very engaging story, of pain, sorrow, idealism and quest for freedom. It is well written and fascinating until it reaches the middle part, when the story loses its credibility.Even her writing suddenly changes, the style is not as elegant as it is in the first part. The protagonist leaves Germany to seek help in America and the plot becomes so surreal that I wonder why Marcia Preston had to write the part at all. It would have been a perfect story if she had kept the focus on the struggle of West Germany and West Berliners to live a "normal life" while their family and friends who were still in East Germany suffer under the Communist regime. Instead she had to bring Trudy to America and set her out for appearances on TV, almost a meeting with JFK, and even goes as far as including his assassination. It does not make sense at all. It felt like Preston exhausted her ideas and she had to put something in the middle to fill her story. The first part instead with its focus on the lives of East and West Berliners, their loneliness, their sufferance and the thousands attempts to escape from Communism is engaging and heartbreaking. New generations who do not remember when Germany was divided would have benefited from reading the book. Instead the surreal American twist shifts the focus from the reality of a divided Germany, making somehow less believable, especially to younger people who do not remember how Germany was. Luckily the book concludes back in Germany. Preston's style returns, the book is once again well written.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book...err..well, electronically anyway lol. This was a terrific read, highly imaginative historical fiction. I would definitely recommend and read again!

I love a book that you can't put down and makes you sad when you've read the last page. This book did just that.

My book club chose this book to read and I was very glad to read it. There are so many books written about Germany during World War II and the Nazi party, etc. This books was about a different part of their history - The Berlin Wall - and it was a good change to read and learn about this. The story was sad but very heartwarming and the ending made it worth the whole read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a good book along with learning a little about the history of the time.

I have enjoyed reading this book, it was sent to me in just a matter of days and in perfect condition. Would recommend this company.