Three generations have lived behind the Berlin Wall in East Germany. Hans and Margaret are a young couple who met in the 1960's in East Germany. Due to each of their parents experiences during the War, they have very different backgrounds and beliefs. These experiences plus the regulations of living in East Germany place a lot of stress on their relationship. As time goes on, each generation deals with the complications of East Germany in different ways, often clashing and challenging the previous generation; however, everyone seems to know that time marches on and things must change.
Distant Signs is a solemn family saga that delves into the impact that the German Democratic Republic had on the people. Without getting into the politics of East Germany or the people responsible, everything is focused on the characters- their actions, thoughts and relationships to one another. This is an intimate portrait into the life of one family. The story feels more like a series of anecdotes told at a family gathering. The story mostly focuses on Margaret and Hans relationship, but moves through time beginning with their parents since their lives impacted Hans and Margaret separately. Both sets of parents had very different experiences during and after War that led them to raise Hans and Margaret differently. While there is a definite feeling of constantly being watched and having to be careful of what is said and who you talk to and several mentions of meetings, this book could really be set anywhere during anytime. The writing had a heavy sense to it, while being a relatively short book, this took me longer to read while allowing all of the nuances to set in.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )