Forty Autumns

In Forty Autumns, Nina Willner shares the poignant history of her family across three generations, separated by forty years of Soviet rule and ultimately reunited after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Following World War II, Hanna, a schoolteacher's daughter, fled to the West with only a small suitcase, while her family—her parents and eight siblings—remained in the East. The Berlin Wall's construction dashed any hopes of reunion. In her new life in America, Hanna attempted to reach out to her family, but most efforts were thwarted due to her father's surveillance and her family's struggles under a harsh regime. Years later, Hanna had a daughter, Nina, who became the first female US Army intelligence officer to lead operations in East Berlin during the Cold War. Meanwhile, in the East, Heidi's daughter, Cordula, was training for the East German Olympic cycling team. Despite being mere miles apart, Nina and her relatives lived vastly different lives. When the Berlin Wall fell, the families reunited, revealing an extraordinary narrative of courage and survival against the backdrop of a divided nation and world. Willner's vivid storytelling encapsulates the resilience of her family amidst decades of separation.