Campbell Jefferys, The Bicycle Teacher Reviews

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Good Points: Having read quite a few books on the Communist experience, it was great to finally read one that focuses on the hard reality, and also the good times, of everyday life. The Cold War pretty much began and ended in East Germany and it was enjoyable and interesting to read a book set during this time. The characters are believable, much of the historical backdrop is real, and the reader gets a real sense of place, time and emotion.

Bad Points: A bit raw and sometimes immature. This is a first novel, so I'll let that young rawness pass.

General comments: The book starts slowly and it takes a while for the story to get going. Basically, a young Australian, Michael, meets an East German girl, Kathrin, in Hamburg in 1981 and then travels to East Berlin to visit her. They fall in love and Michael eventually moves to East Berlin. Not an easy task, and it's only made possible through the help of Kathrin's cousin, Rudi, who works for an undisclosed government agency. Michael marries Kathrin, they have a daughter, and Rudi helps Michael become an English teacher, when before he was a mechanic. Michael's satisfying life is then disturbed by the fall of the Berlin Wall and its consequences.

The chapters set in East Germany really brought the country to life. The country sounds almost picturesque and it could be exaggeration or simply a rosey point of view. Some of it is hard to read, especially some of the hard truths that come out after the wall has fallen. But you have to think that this moment in history caused a lot of disruptions and dramatic changes to people's lives. The book reads quickly and the images stay with you. The descriptive passages are very good and the book has obviously been well researched.

It's an extremely interesting story and well delivered. The only problem is, the book is quite hard to find; that is, it's not an many book stores. I saw someone reading it on the train, liked the cover and found it online. I hope Campbell Jefferys has another book coming out soon.