What do you think?
Rate this book
Through Different Eyes
As the Cold War rages, twelve-year-old Colette (Col) Schmidt, flees Leipzig with her mother after they discover her secret policeman father is a Nazi war criminal.
Settled in England by MI6, the lies Col must tell to hide her true origins weigh down her budding friendships. She makes inadvertent slips that expose her origins to her friends, but these reinforce and deepen their relationships. After MI6 use the pair as bait to lure out communist agents, they ship Colette and her mother to Australia.
There, she is forced to use her linguistic skills to spy on the migrant communities.
The risk of exposure causes the lies to proliferate and her internal conflict intensifies.
Masking her truth in necessary lies, she finds support from a school friend, a Russian émigré and a first World War Scottish soldier. But the lies she must tell and their cargo of guilt take her to the brink of a breakdown.
Can Colette find a way past the lies – without bringing the communist assassins to her door?
Settled in England by MI6, the lies Col must tell to hide her true origins weigh down her budding friendships. She makes inadvertent slips that expose her origins to her friends, but these reinforce and deepen their relationships. After MI6 use the pair as bait to lure out communist agents, they ship Colette and her mother to Australia.
There, she is forced to use her linguistic skills to spy on the migrant communities.
The risk of exposure causes the lies to proliferate and her internal conflict intensifies.
Masking her truth in necessary lies, she finds support from a school friend, a Russian émigré and a first World War Scottish soldier. But the lies she must tell and their cargo of guilt take her to the brink of a breakdown.
Can Colette find a way past the lies – without bringing the communist assassins to her door?
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2023
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 24, 2026
Through Different Eyes by Robert Hart is the kind of historical fiction that doesn’t just tell a story it quietly unsettles you, lingers in your thoughts, and asks difficult moral questions long after the final page. Set against the tense and shadowy backdrop of the Cold War, this novel delivers an intimate portrait of identity, secrecy, and the emotional cost of survival.
At the heart of the story is Colette, a character whose internal struggle feels as real as the geopolitical tension surrounding her. Hart crafts her voice with remarkable restraint never overly dramatic, yet deeply affecting. Her dual existence, shaped by inherited guilt and forced deception, becomes a powerful lens through which we experience themes of belonging and moral ambiguity. What stands out most is how human the narrative remains despite its high-stakes premise. This is not just a spy story, it is a coming-of-age shaped by fear, resilience, and impossible choices.
Hart’s prose is elegant without being inaccessible. He balances historical detail with emotional nuance, ensuring the pacing never falters under the weight of research. The transitions—from Leipzig to England, and eventually Australia are handled with a quiet precision that reinforces the disorientation Colette herself experiences. Supporting characters are not mere background figures; they serve as emotional anchors, each representing different facets of trust, loyalty, and cultural displacement.
What elevates this novel is its refusal to offer easy resolutions. The tension between truth and survival is not neatly resolved, and that is precisely where its strength lies. Hart respects the reader enough to let the ambiguity breathe.
This is a novel for readers who appreciate depth over spectacle, those who enjoy stories where the real conflict unfolds within the human heart. It’s a compelling, introspective work that proves historical fiction can be both intellectually engaging and profoundly moving.
At the heart of the story is Colette, a character whose internal struggle feels as real as the geopolitical tension surrounding her. Hart crafts her voice with remarkable restraint never overly dramatic, yet deeply affecting. Her dual existence, shaped by inherited guilt and forced deception, becomes a powerful lens through which we experience themes of belonging and moral ambiguity. What stands out most is how human the narrative remains despite its high-stakes premise. This is not just a spy story, it is a coming-of-age shaped by fear, resilience, and impossible choices.
Hart’s prose is elegant without being inaccessible. He balances historical detail with emotional nuance, ensuring the pacing never falters under the weight of research. The transitions—from Leipzig to England, and eventually Australia are handled with a quiet precision that reinforces the disorientation Colette herself experiences. Supporting characters are not mere background figures; they serve as emotional anchors, each representing different facets of trust, loyalty, and cultural displacement.
What elevates this novel is its refusal to offer easy resolutions. The tension between truth and survival is not neatly resolved, and that is precisely where its strength lies. Hart respects the reader enough to let the ambiguity breathe.
This is a novel for readers who appreciate depth over spectacle, those who enjoy stories where the real conflict unfolds within the human heart. It’s a compelling, introspective work that proves historical fiction can be both intellectually engaging and profoundly moving.
June 7, 2023
Fewer than twenty years after the end of the Second World War, a young girl finds herself embroiled in Cold War intrigue on an international scale. When it was discovered that her father, a rising star in the East German Stasi, had been a war criminal for the Nazis, her mother was able to secret both of them to England - but had they truly escaped her father's reach? Outside the Iron Curtain, most governments distrusted immigrants and many families were still bitter towards any Germans, even teen girls born after the war. Defectors weren't welcome unless they had something to offer. Struggling to settle into a place she could call home, she had to closely guard her own secrets while divining those of the people around her. In the end, will the price demanded by those who offered to protect her instead crush her?
How can a young person develop friendships while living a life of lies, fearful that if anyone gets close enough the truth will leak out? The anxiety and depression that comes from never being in control of one's own destiny, then the inevitability that those she can truly rely on will no longer be there.
Robert Hart crafts a masterfully written tale with rich and vivid descriptions of its setting and characters, told in the first person narrative of the teen girl Collette Schmidt. This is not packed with action, as there are slow stretches of character development but which are punctuated by events that continually raise the tension level. As the pages drew shorter in number I was anxious for the conclusion, but over the last few was left in tears, both in remembrance of the pain which had come before and joy in the promise of the future.
How can a young person develop friendships while living a life of lies, fearful that if anyone gets close enough the truth will leak out? The anxiety and depression that comes from never being in control of one's own destiny, then the inevitability that those she can truly rely on will no longer be there.
Robert Hart crafts a masterfully written tale with rich and vivid descriptions of its setting and characters, told in the first person narrative of the teen girl Collette Schmidt. This is not packed with action, as there are slow stretches of character development but which are punctuated by events that continually raise the tension level. As the pages drew shorter in number I was anxious for the conclusion, but over the last few was left in tears, both in remembrance of the pain which had come before and joy in the promise of the future.
April 9, 2026
i found this one through a recommendation thread and added it to my list mostly because the cold war setting interested me. what i got was something much more intimate and much more affecting than i anticipated.
col is what makes this book. a twelve year old girl who has just found out her father is a nazi war criminal, uprooted from everything she knows, dropped into england with a new identity and a list of lies she has to maintain every single day just to stay alive. hart writes her internal world with such honesty that you feel the weight of every small slip, every moment where the truth almost surfaces, every friendship she is terrified of losing because of what she is hiding.
what surprised me most is how the lies work in this story. normally in fiction secrets drive people apart. here they somehow deepen col's relationships in these unexpected ways and that felt very true to how real human connection actually works sometimes. people sense something underneath even when they cannot name it.
the australia section took the story somewhere i was not expecting and i loved that. watching col being used as an actual intelligence asset at her age the moral ugliness of that sitting alongside the people who genuinely care about her created a tension that stayed with me.
the russian emigre and the scottish soldier are two of the most quietly wonderful supporting characters i have come across in a long time.
i read the last fifty pages barely breathing. really exceptional book. the kind that makes you think about it for days after.
col is what makes this book. a twelve year old girl who has just found out her father is a nazi war criminal, uprooted from everything she knows, dropped into england with a new identity and a list of lies she has to maintain every single day just to stay alive. hart writes her internal world with such honesty that you feel the weight of every small slip, every moment where the truth almost surfaces, every friendship she is terrified of losing because of what she is hiding.
what surprised me most is how the lies work in this story. normally in fiction secrets drive people apart. here they somehow deepen col's relationships in these unexpected ways and that felt very true to how real human connection actually works sometimes. people sense something underneath even when they cannot name it.
the australia section took the story somewhere i was not expecting and i loved that. watching col being used as an actual intelligence asset at her age the moral ugliness of that sitting alongside the people who genuinely care about her created a tension that stayed with me.
the russian emigre and the scottish soldier are two of the most quietly wonderful supporting characters i have come across in a long time.
i read the last fifty pages barely breathing. really exceptional book. the kind that makes you think about it for days after.
May 25, 2023
After being used by MI6 in England to lure out communist agents and after her true identity is discovered they are sent to Australia to keep the safe from her dangerous father, Colette and her mother have to learn to live under different circumstances of the ones they are used to. But the days of tranquility are not in the past, Colette is being forced to spy on the immigrant community using her language skills in order to keep being safe.
Will these new reality endangered Colette, physically and mentally, or will she rise to the challenge?
New friendships with a school friend, an old Russian emigre and a First World War Scottish soldier helps her in these difficult times.
She learns a lot about her mother's past and what she did while in the concentration camp.
The ending of the book ties up the plot of the book while at the same time leaving us with wanting more of the story.
Will these new reality endangered Colette, physically and mentally, or will she rise to the challenge?
New friendships with a school friend, an old Russian emigre and a First World War Scottish soldier helps her in these difficult times.
She learns a lot about her mother's past and what she did while in the concentration camp.
The ending of the book ties up the plot of the book while at the same time leaving us with wanting more of the story.
January 11, 2026
I finished Through Different Eyes feeling emotionally worn in a good way. The story does an excellent job of showing how heavy adult secrets can crush a child forced to carry them. Colette feels real and believable, especially in how her lies start small but slowly take over her life. The Cold War backdrop adds constant tension without overwhelming the personal story, and the author clearly did their research.
What stood out most to me was how relationships are handled. Colette’s friendships feel genuine, and the way truth both threatens and strengthens those bonds is handled with care. The pacing is steady, though some sections felt emotionally intense and heavy. This isn’t a light read, but it’s a thoughtful one that explores guilt, identity, and survival through a young girl’s eyes. Overall, it’s a powerful and well written historical novel.
What stood out most to me was how relationships are handled. Colette’s friendships feel genuine, and the way truth both threatens and strengthens those bonds is handled with care. The pacing is steady, though some sections felt emotionally intense and heavy. This isn’t a light read, but it’s a thoughtful one that explores guilt, identity, and survival through a young girl’s eyes. Overall, it’s a powerful and well written historical novel.
February 11, 2026
What makes this novel exceptional is its emotional depth. Hart masterfully captures the psychological weight of living a lie, especially through the perspective of a young girl trying to form friendships while hiding a dangerous truth. Col’s “slips” with her friends are some of the most touching moments in the book, showing how vulnerability can unexpectedly build stronger bonds. Her inner conflict feels authentic and heartbreaking as the burden of secrecy pushes her toward the edge.
March 23, 2026
A gripping and deeply emotional journey through the shadows of the Cold War. Robert Hart masterfully balances intense historical intrigue with a poignant story of survival. Colette’s struggle for truth in a world built on lies is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a powerful, high-stakes narrative—it is a five-star read that stays with you long after the final page
May 29, 2023
Robert Hart does a great job in creating this story, it had everything that I was looking for. The characters were what I was looking for from this type of book, it had everything that I was hoping for and am glad I read this.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 15, 2025
A gripping and emotional read! This story of young Colette’s escape from her father’s dark past during the Cold War is both powerful and heartfelt. The tension between secrecy, friendship, and survival is beautifully written, pulling you right into her world. A truly moving tale of courage, identity, and the cost of truth impossible to put down!
September 25, 2025
This is not just a Cold War spy story—it’s a deeply human story about guilt, identity, and resilience. Col’s inner conflict felt so real, and her friendships gave the novel a beating heart amid the intrigue. The writing is superb, and the atmosphere of fear and suspicion was masterfully done.
February 9, 2026
This was a powerful and emotionally layered story that stayed with me long after I finished reading. Set against the tense backdrop of the Cold War, Colette’s journey is both gripping and deeply personal.
June 27, 2023
This was different to what I expected. Firstly, it can be read as a standalone and is engaging right from the beginning. An excellent read with lots of twists. There is both mystery and adventure mixed into this tale of escape from behind the Iron Curtain. The realism expressed focusses on the cold war atrocities with an extremely accurate depiction. There are a lot of emotional moments and some political shenanigans. The immoral behavior of government employees is paramount as is the compassion of everyday citizens. Col is more mature than her years and has a quick brain that helps her manoeuvre through the obstacles, particularly those placed by the intelligence agency. Well recommended especially for those who want to move on from WW2 stories.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews