Spanish book set in 1970s Berlin and Madrid

Submitted: 10th April 2025

Noche Oscura Sobre Berlín

This book – A Dark Night Over Berlin – has all the ingredients of a good novel – two big locations, both with links to war and division. Two capital cities – two cities that changed the history of the world at that time. A war story set between the two was always going to be good. Spain had just come out of Franco’s shadow and wasn’t yet a democracy and as for Germany – this city of Berlin was divided by a great wall that put restrictions on one side of the country from mixing with the other.

So, can a man from Madrid who meets a woman in Berlin ever hope to have a happy and easy life?

Map of locations in Noche Oscura Sobre Berlín

Noche oscura sobre Berlín

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Madrid and Berlin

Author guide: Montaña Campón

Genre: historical

Food and drink to accompany: nothing much as there’s rations

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A novel to transport you to Madrid and Berlin in 1970s

Map of locations in Noche Oscura Sobre Berlín

I don’t think I have ever read a novel set in war or about war, where the histories of Spain and Germany were so intertwined and represented. The trials of a man leaving one place and moving to another was insightful. So many challenges at that time. It’s a tale of two cities – the histories, shared hopes and so much more.

What I really enjoyed was the way that the author takes you into the workld of transplants. Turns out that the first transplant in the world was in the 1950s. I didn’t know it was that recent! So, the fact that this novel is only set 20 years later means that the skill is still in its infancy. It was interesting to read about – not too many gory images to consider” – and see how this might be happening in a country where politics seemed to be taking a step back. How can people be so intelligent to learn how to do a transplant yet build a wall dividing one side of a city from another?

The Germany timelines was particularly interesting – the fear and suspicion in the air is palpable. Luckily, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to have lived through that. This novel gives you an idea and makes you feel the emotions of the characters who live there. There’s a problem getting food and other things. Then there’s the injustice and violence of it all. The Germans Stasi were cruel and surveillance was king. A place built on fear and more fear. The fact that Martin’s apartment looks out onto the wall is particularly cruel.

I found this a heartfelt and thought-provoking read. Raised a lot of questions and thoughts I had never considered before. Needs to be translated I feel, as I would love to hear what bookclubs have to say about it.