Frost on Barbed Wire

Berlin 1953. Twenty-two-year-old rookie reporter, Erich Laube, thrives on adventure, nosing out stories from behind the Iron Curtain. But Erich is haunted by memories of his escape from Poland during the final months of WWII. At the age of fourteen, he led his ten-year-old sister, Magda to safety after they became separated from their mother and baby sister. Erich is a free spirit and he is taken by surprise when, on a visit to New York, he falls in love with Janine Taylor, an American theatre critic. Not long afterwards, a disturbing reunion with his estranged parents, still trapped in Poland, makes him realise the value of family ties. On his return to Berlin, he decides to cut back on dangerous missions, fly over to the States and ask Janine to marry him. On arriving in Berlin Erich’s young wife is befriended by Magda, who gives support to the couple when Janine suffers a miscarriage. Further tragedy follows and feeling homesick, Janine persuades Erich to transfer to Boston. While preparing for the move, he learns the shocking truth about what happened to his mother, Katya, at the end of the War. Erich blames himself for Katy’s suffering and, tormented by guilt, he feels reluctant to leave Berlin, especially as relations between East and West have become strained. He puts off his departure for the States with devastating consequences.