Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth? Life in East Germany
in the early 1980s is not easy for most people, but for Lena, it's
particularly hard. After the death of her parents in a factory explosion
and time spent in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the trauma, she
is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling
Communist Party. Visits with her beloved Uncle Erich, a best-selling
author, are her only respite. But one night, her uncle disappears
without a trace. Gone also are all his belongings, his books, and even
his birth records. Lena is desperate to know what happened to him, but
it's as if he never existed. The worst thing, however, is that she
cannot discuss her uncle or her attempts to find him with anyone, not
even her best friends. There are government spies everywhere. But Lena
is unafraid and refuses to give up her search, regardless of the
consequences. This searing novel about defiance, courage, and
determination takes readers into the chilling world of a society ruled
by autocratic despots, where nothing is what it seems.