Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Raised by a harsh Jewish single mother who prioritizes her socialist party connections over her family in mid-twentieth-century East Berlin, Thomas is forced to abandon his dream of becoming a writer while his sister, Ella, becomes increasingly introverted.
Is Rücken an Rücken appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This historical literary novel depicts the harsh upbringing of two siblings in East Berlin, including emotional neglect and abuse by their single mother who prioritizes political ideology over family. Contains themes of abandonment, political oppression, and family dysfunction.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include child abuse, emotional abuse, and abandonment (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in historical fiction will connect with Thomas and Ella's struggle to find themselves under their mother's harsh, politically-driven parenting in Cold War-era Berlin.