This novel is set in the final years of East Germany. Due to non-conformist behavior, both Hannah and, even more so, her friend Andreas have lost the chance to lead a life of their own design. Without high-school degrees, without a chance to study, they are doomed to mind-deadening work in a diesel motor factory. So they choose instead to flee to the West, 50 kilometers across the Baltic Sea. Hanna, like the author herself, is a talented competition swimmer and is sure she can help Andreas keep up with her. Wasting no time with explanatory introductions, the author draws the reader into a fascinating escape story from the very first sentence on. Intensive descriptions of cold, darkness, disorientation and physical ailments such as cramps, shortness of breath, hunger and exhaustion, help suggest the physical experience. During the swim Hanna reflects on the events that led to their escape. The flashbacks give a realistic portrayal of growing up in the GDR, torn between resignation and rebellion. Though fraught with tension, many episodes are depicted with wordplay and situation comedy. A book which for today's youth can be considered an historical novel, the narrative is highly readable and full of suspense till the very end.
