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The Risk: Love Behind the Iron Curtain
A thriller of a story, this book begins slowly and calmly, and builds with powerful tension to an uncertain ending. Based on a true story, Kristina has grown up in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), comfortable and unquestioning of the totalitarian system that governs and controls her life. Being a model citizen, the terror of the Secret Police, Stasi, has always been only a quietly frightening background noise in her otherwise peaceful, productive life. But when she falls in love with an American man, the Stasi begins to take increased interest in her and her frequent visitor. When she decides to leave the GDR, she discovers just how all powerful, arbitrary and menacing a police state can be for those who challenge the system. A great read that you will not want to put down until the suspense filled end. This compelling love story is inspired by the author’s own file the Stasi of East Germany kept on her.
Dorothe D. Kress, herself a former citizen of East Germany, weaves an accurate depiction of East German life with the frightening actions of the Stasi into a suspenseful story of love behind the Iron Curtain.
Dorothe D. Kress, herself a former citizen of East Germany, weaves an accurate depiction of East German life with the frightening actions of the Stasi into a suspenseful story of love behind the Iron Curtain.
408 pages, Paperback
Published February 12, 2022
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April 22, 2025
The Risk 'Forbidden Love behind the Iron Curtain' by Dorothe Kress is based on true events. I have read Dorothe's biography in German, as well as the sequence.
The author translated the "Risk" later into an English suspenseful story, a thriller, and it is thought-provoking and captivating.
The story is about the author's life , Kristina, a former model citizen of East Germany, the "Democratic Republic of Germany."
It describes the dramatic circumstances of her personal life with her two young children and the new love with the "American" Will , now the love of her life and the harrowing experience when she applied for marriage and how these events have made her into an enemy of the State.
She describes the threats, the dangers she encountered, her fear, suspicions, the secret service following and spying on her as well as friends or neighbors and her file of the East German Secret Police "The Stasi Akte". Who can one trust in such a situation?
Her fight for freedom and her rights for herself and her children is a chilly description.
It is an emotional story of an intelligent, bright, strong, courageous, and victorious woman.
She didn't bow to the system.She fought, she challenged it and risked a lot.
The Risk is a perfect title for this book and a very good cover.
I was born in Eastern Germany, and my parents left with me when I was 1 1/2 years old to West Germany.
As a child, I visited my grandparents and relatives with the one grandmother who had also fled during the summer vacation. That stopped after the Berlin Wall was built because my parents ordered us to return immediately. Fear was always our companion, like in Kjristinas case.
We went by train and saw the boarders, wires, towers with gunmen, police and soldiers patrolling, checking with dogs the trains and our papers. It was frightening . I experienced the 'not free world ' the fear being watched or reported by people! I was constantly reminded to be careful with my wording.
I have read the original German biography and had many discussions with the author about the book and the circumstances at that time in the eastern part of Germany, called the "East".
Everything is based on true events, and I am blessed to call her my friend and happy that our paths have crossed.
Reading her short stories is delightful.
Reading the sequel from the "Risk", her new beginning in the new world touched me a lot and I often had tears in my eyes because my life , the start with our children here in the new world had similar stories and I could relate to them, I could feel almost the same!
The lovely book gives hope and teaches the following.
"Follow your heart, authentic and be courageous ."
Dorothe , keep ✍️ writing,
your friend Mimi
The author translated the "Risk" later into an English suspenseful story, a thriller, and it is thought-provoking and captivating.
The story is about the author's life , Kristina, a former model citizen of East Germany, the "Democratic Republic of Germany."
It describes the dramatic circumstances of her personal life with her two young children and the new love with the "American" Will , now the love of her life and the harrowing experience when she applied for marriage and how these events have made her into an enemy of the State.
She describes the threats, the dangers she encountered, her fear, suspicions, the secret service following and spying on her as well as friends or neighbors and her file of the East German Secret Police "The Stasi Akte". Who can one trust in such a situation?
Her fight for freedom and her rights for herself and her children is a chilly description.
It is an emotional story of an intelligent, bright, strong, courageous, and victorious woman.
She didn't bow to the system.She fought, she challenged it and risked a lot.
The Risk is a perfect title for this book and a very good cover.
I was born in Eastern Germany, and my parents left with me when I was 1 1/2 years old to West Germany.
As a child, I visited my grandparents and relatives with the one grandmother who had also fled during the summer vacation. That stopped after the Berlin Wall was built because my parents ordered us to return immediately. Fear was always our companion, like in Kjristinas case.
We went by train and saw the boarders, wires, towers with gunmen, police and soldiers patrolling, checking with dogs the trains and our papers. It was frightening . I experienced the 'not free world ' the fear being watched or reported by people! I was constantly reminded to be careful with my wording.
I have read the original German biography and had many discussions with the author about the book and the circumstances at that time in the eastern part of Germany, called the "East".
Everything is based on true events, and I am blessed to call her my friend and happy that our paths have crossed.
Reading her short stories is delightful.
Reading the sequel from the "Risk", her new beginning in the new world touched me a lot and I often had tears in my eyes because my life , the start with our children here in the new world had similar stories and I could relate to them, I could feel almost the same!
The lovely book gives hope and teaches the following.
"Follow your heart, authentic and be courageous ."
Dorothe , keep ✍️ writing,
your friend Mimi
Displaying 1 of 1 review