The Berlin Soldier's Vow: A Historical Fiction Novel

by Leah Moyes

When love, loyalty, and freedom collide, a sacrifice must be made. Seventeen-year-old, wealthy and entitled, Stefan Franke cared for little outside of friends, indulgence, and entertainment. Even when the Berlin Wall is built in 1961, dividing East Berlin from the Western Allies, Stefan pays no heed to the suffering it brings. His only care was to serve himself… Until he crossed one line too many and found himself in need of his well-connected family to avoid a Czechoslovakian prison. In exchange for his release, Stefan must now follow in his father’s footsteps and help the Deutsch Democratic Republic hide evidence of their brutalities through the family mortuary. With his newly found awareness, Stefan’s world is challenged when he crosses paths with the maddening, vivacious, beautiful Ella Kühn who ultimately steals his heart and drives him to do anything to protect her… Even Murder. Faced with a ten-year sentence in the German military, Stefan embarks on a journey that takes him through the horrors of the Vietnam War, torture, imprisonment, and unethical assignments. Bit by bit, Stefan was losing his soul. He no longer saw an end to his torment and the only reason he kept his heart beating was the need to save the woman he loves… from herself. This story shares the triumphs and tragedies from Stefan’s point of view from the Award-Winning Berlin Butterfly Series. Written as a compelling supplement to Ella’s voice and to reveal the stark contrasts in the couples’ lives before, during, and after their separation from 1961 to 1989, Stefan is best read at the completion of the original series.

Genres: Historical Fiction

310 pages, Hardcover

Published August 10, 2025

About the author

Leah Moyes is a wife and a mother, a former teacher and coach with a background in Anthropology and History. Between writing and archaeological digs, the world is her playground.
She loves popcorn and seafood (though not together) and is slowly checking off her very long bucket list.

Reviews

[Loretta Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very intriguing love story.

The author has written a remarkable story of a couple’s life and love and all they have to go through before they can be together and happy. A story full of adventure and heart ache.

[patricia o'kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

the End

A great ending to an excellent series. Spanning the lifetime of the characters it also created a particularly superb lifetime of the DDR. Well written and enthralling.

[Bob Grizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable!!

[Dpfinley64gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

gaps

And now I know the rest of the story! Worth the read! From a man’s point of view, and so beautiful!

[Abby Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book added very little to what was already known from the Berlin Girl’s books. It felt like a lot of cut and paste.

[Mel Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful piece to the Berlin Butterfly series! It filled in the gaps, clarified much, and helped finish the story.
I'm just left wishing there was still more!

[Mona Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great finish to the Series!