On November 9, 1989, in a shocking turn of events, Stuart Glennick, an American spy, defects to the East. Accompanying Stuart on his flight to the Communists is his German girl friend, Uta Silk. Three hours later, the wall comes tumbling down. Uta changes her mind and returns to the West.

Meanwhile, a fellow spy, StuartĘs best friend Nester Cates has been sent in to bring Stuart back at all costs. At the same time that Stuart flees the West, his brother Douglas is in Berlin looking for solace after losing his job and wife. Instead of finding inner peace and harmony, Douglas is mistaken for a terrorist and is in danger from both sides. Still, everything returns to Stuart and how his defection is affecting everyone in his circle.

THE WALL is great historical fiction that brings to life the most dynamic series of events that culminate with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Stuart is a great character, whose motives are clearly shown by author John Marks. The impact of his defection on his friends, lover, and sibling is also distinctly spelled out so that readers can understand their deepest feelings. Though there are moments when the novel seems a bit stretched (for instance, the resemblance between Douglas and the terrorist), the dramatization of the fall of the wall and the rest of the East is a brilliant thriller that clarifies what really happened in an exciting way.

Harriet Klausner