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Age 14+
Vol. 2

Abgehauen

Berührende Aufarbeitung deutsch-deutscher Zeitgeschichte

Runaway

Grit Poppe (Written by)

Eye Witness: The Story of an Escape

The Torgau juvenile detention centre, GDR, 1989: Rebellious Gonzo, like her friend Anja, the heroine of Shut Away (Weggesperrt), has been sent to the jail-like detention centre in Torgau, where she is to be forced to become a “socialist personality”. There, she finds herself at the mercy of harsh educators and is driven almost to breaking point by the experience. On the transport back to her old juvenile workhouse, she sees her chance, makes a break for it and gets away. All she wants is to be free at last! Hiding out in some allotments, she meets René, who is also planning to escape to the West. Together they make it across the Green Border to Prague and the West German Embassy there. The story is based on interviews with contemporary witnesses and historical facts.
The author was awarded the 2010 Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize for the first in the series, Shut Away.
"This is a story that gets under your skin and should be read by young people and adults alike.” DIE ZEIT on Shut Away

A political book for young adults, with all the suspense of a thriller

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Age 14+
Vol. 2

Product details

  • ISBN: 978-3-7915-1633-2
  • Published: 01.08.2012
  • Length: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Dressler

Creatives

Written by

Grit Poppe
©Joerg Schwalfenberg

Grit Poppe

Grit Poppe was born in the Baltic coastal town of Boltenhagen in 1964 and studied at the Leipzig Institute of Literature. From 1989-92, she was the business manager of the Brandenburg branch of the political movement Demokratie Jetzt (Democracy Now). Grit Poppe writes books for children and adults. She…

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