Comedy and tragedy intertwine in this entertaining account of life in communist East Berlin as seen through the eyes of a teenage boy. Published originally in German, Harry Guest has provided a funny and engaging translation. The story is sprinkled with outlandish characters, from Granma Otti perpetually in search of her next husband, to Fishface Winkler, whose demise at the hands of an unknown assailant scandalizes the square and leads to the search for the perpetrator. At times a mystery, at others a cultural travelogue, A Square in East Berlin reveals the reality of life beyond the Berlin Wall.