Trudy's Promise

by Marcia Preston

Book Overview

An act of desperation divides a mother and her child. Only an act of faith can reunite them.Trudy Hulst has no idea if her husband survived his attempted escape past the newly constructed Berlin Wall.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0778325334
• ISBN13: 9780778325338
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Mira Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Ms Preston--Outstanding!

Ms Preston is an outstanding writer that brings Trudy to life in this 'tug-at-your-heart' novel! With sudden, surprising twists, Ms Preston not only kept me riveted to the book but also greatly entertained me with Trudy's grit and determination. Her research of the Berlin Wall was so detailed that this book could be used for reading material in the classroom setting. I know the students would enjoy reading it!! I have read all of Ms Preston's novels and I have NOT been disappointed! She is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading her next novel, even if she is and Okie! :)

A Mother's Love

Trudy fell in love with Rolf in spite of his intense determination to leave East Berlin. When he crossed the newly constructed Berlin Wall, in October, 1962, she recognized that he loved politics more than he loved her and their son, Stefan. As the wife of a defector, she was under suspicion and could be arrested by the notorious "stasi" communists. Trudy left her baby with Gisela, her mother-in-law, to crawl through a dangerous tunnel under the Berlin wall to search for her husband in West Berlin. Did he survive his attempted escape? Unable to find him, she suffers in agony, missing her child. She walks the Wall, hoping to find a gap to at least see her son. Her efforts to get Stefan and Gisela out of East Germany take her to America, but even President Kennedy is unable to help her. She returns to Berlin and tries every way to get back to East Berlin to be with her family. Now her son and mother-in-law are out of reach. Vicious armed guards patrol the wall and will stop at nothing to prevent passage over the wall. Marcia Preston learned first-hand of the agony of relatives and friends split by the Berlin Wall. A whole generation grew up never being with their people. Nearly thirty years would go by before the Wall came down in 1989. The author offers readers a glimpse into a frightening period that few writers have chosen to explore. Trudy's story is Marcia Preston's first book with a foreign setting. She says, "It is a personal story of a mother's love."

Preston scores a solid winner

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

engaging historical thriller

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

Trudy's Promise well worth your time.

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.