by
Pamelia Barratt
Die
Birken tells the story of an apartment building of that name (The
Birches) and the East Berliners living there between the 1930s and
1960s, some of whom survived World War II only to fall subject to the
Russians and another ideology—communism. Their new challenge is to
maintain their well-being, their personal integrity, their sense of
humor, and their humanity, all while avoiding the pitfalls of a
divided city and Stasi surveillance. In the aftermath of war, new
relationships are created, families are reconfigured, and what were
formerly ordinary trees, like birches, become cherished.
