SKU: 35890781799

Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall

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Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin WallIn this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped

In this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family--of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedom--leaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family home--was heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own.

Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hanna's daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relatives--grandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training team--a bitter political war kept them apart.

In Forty Autumns, Nina recounts her family's story--five ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk.

A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and love--of five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family.

Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs.

--Kirkus Reviews

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 08/15/2017
ISBN: 9780062410320
Pages: 416
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 1.00d
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SKU: 35890781799

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Great quality, color is ok.
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The quality, texture, feel and smell of the rug is very good. The hairs adhere to the back lining well and don't shed even with my cat trying to bite it out. The only downside unfortunately is aesthetic— the cream brown I ordered, in natural light/sun shining on it, looks more yellowish - gold.
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Color: Ivory White, Size: 2' x 6' (Sheepskin Shape), Color: Ivory White, Size: 2' x 6' (Sheepskin Shape)
I have owned many sheepskins before and this one is by far the best deal. Cheaper than similar sizes, but not in a bad way! It’s a beautiful creamy white, super plush, and is very long. We keep it on the back of our couch and it gives a very cozy vibe. I haven’t had any issues with it shedding. Word of advice for cat owners: When we first got it, it did have a sheepskin smell but it isn’t a gross smell and it went away within a few days; however, my cat was very attracted to that smell and was “attacking” the sheepskin. We trained her not to do it just by spraying her with water—after a few times of that she stopped going anywhere near it. Now that the smell has dissipated, she isn’t attracted to it anymore but does like to sit on it every once and awhile (I can’t blame her, it’s sooooo soft). I saw someone else say their cat ruined their rug, so I wanted to give our story on how we prevented that and hopes it helps another cat owner. You just have to be alert for the first day, maybe even let it off-gas outside first, then keep a spray bottle nearby and the cat should stop messing with it!
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Great little rug!
Color: Ivory White, Size: 2' x 3' (Sheepskin Shape), Color: Ivory White, Size: 2' x 3' (Sheepskin Shape)
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Definitely genuine pelts.
Size: 2' x 3' (Natural shape, Sheepksin, Oblong), Color: Ivory White
I like the color. Not too white, more of a natural shade. I ordered two, for each side of the bed. One is larger than the other which proves they are genuine pelts and I’m ok with it!!
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