SKU: 35890781799

Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall

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Description

Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin WallIn this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped

In this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family--of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than forty years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Forty Autumns makes visceral the pain and longing of one family forced to live apart in a world divided by two. At twenty, Hanna escaped from East to West Germany. But the price of freedom--leaving behind her parents, eight siblings, and family home--was heartbreaking. Uprooted, Hanna eventually moved to America, where she settled down with her husband and had children of her own.

Growing up near Washington, D.C., Hanna's daughter, Nina Willner became the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead sensitive intelligence operations in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. Though only a few miles separated American Nina and her German relatives--grandmother Oma, Aunt Heidi, and cousin, Cordula, a member of the East German Olympic training team--a bitter political war kept them apart.

In Forty Autumns, Nina recounts her family's story--five ordinary lives buffeted by circumstances beyond their control. She takes us deep into the tumultuous and terrifying world of East Germany under Communist rule, revealing both the cruel reality her relatives endured and her own experiences as an intelligence officer, running secret operations behind the Berlin Wall that put her life at risk.

A personal look at a tenuous era that divided a city and a nation, and continues to haunt us, Forty Autumns is an intimate and beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and love--of five women whose spirits could not be broken, and who fought to preserve what matters most: family.

Forty Autumns is illustrated with dozens of black-and-white and color photographs.

--Kirkus Reviews

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 08/15/2017
ISBN: 9780062410320
Pages: 416
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 1.00d
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SKU: 35890781799

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Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Comfortable pillows for side sleepers
Size: King, Unit Count: 4.0
Great pillows!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
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Chris
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect Jumbo Size with Hotel-Quality Comfort & Support
Color: White, Size: Queen(Pack of 2)
I recently purchased the Jumbo size pillows. After trying a week, I couldn’t be happier with them! The size is perfect—nice and full without feeling bulky. They provide just the right amount of medium support, keeping my head and neck comfortable whether I’m sleeping on my back or side. The 100% cotton cover feels soft and breathable, and the pillows stay cool throughout the night. I also love the gusseted design—it really helps the pillows maintain their shape and gives them that luxury hotel feel. Even after several nights of use, they haven’t gone flat. Another big plus is that they’re machine washable, which makes maintenance super easy. Overall, these Jumbo pillows are plush, supportive, and great quality for the price. Highly recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2026
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Crystal
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Best pillows we’ve ever had!
Color: White, Size: King(Pack of 2)
These are so insanely comfortable! They have the perfect amount of softness and support. Not too flat, not too full, just right. You will sink into it like a big marshmallow!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
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Laura Moya
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Comfortable pillows 🤩
Color: White, Size: Queen(Pack of 2), Color: White, Size: Queen(Pack of 2)
I bought the Serta Hotel Collection Bed Pillows (Queen size) and I absolutely loved them. They are super soft yet provide great support; they feel very comfortable and help make for a much better, more pleasant night's sleep. Plus, the fabric is cool and of high quality. I recommend them wholeheartedly!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2026
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Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 4
Amazing pillows!
Color: White, Size: Queen(Pack of 2)
These are fantastic pillows! A little background. I'm a side sleeper and toss and turn throughout the night. I've struggled with sleep issues for literally decades - insomnia, tossing and turning, waking up multiple times a night to use the bathroom, waking up way too early and not being able to get back to sleep. Every night it's a combo of those things or all of those things. I've also had some neck pain and stiffness for a couple of months. If you've ever dealt with that you know it will affect sleep which will then affect productivity and mood. It's a terrible spiraling and compounding thing to deal with, very stressful. I figured the contour pillow I had which once was actually helping was unfortunately the culprit. So I went on the hunt for another pillow. I ordered what I thought was the old Rejuvenite pillow (those were fabulous!) and got burned on a bait and switch. The pillow ended up being way too soft and gave me worse neck pain. Figuring I'd try to salvage what was a $115 pillow, I invested in a very thin pillow to put underneath. It was too high. Getting pretty frustrated, I ordered the cheaper Utopia pillows here on Amazon. Those actually were not terrible because they did take away my neck pain, but I was still tossing and turning at night and still feeling unrested in the morning. I decided I'd give it one last shot and luckily found these when they were discounted by a few bucks. They didn't have many reviews which was actually a great sign for me because it means the company lets their product speak for itself. I got these in several days and was thrilled to see upon opening the package that they were sealed and the directions do not require you to open the package and let them expand for 24 hours. You literally just take the edges and fluff 2-3 times and that's it! They are ready to go and they definitely do feel perfect after doing that. I was skeptical when I put them on my bed because they are soft and I worried they'd be too soft. I felt my head sink into the pillow a bit and then was surprised to feel at a certain point it just feels like the pillow is cradling your head with the right amount of support. I wouldn't describe it as firm, just soft but stable support. Really comfortable. But the real test was how it would perform during sleep. I'm so thrilled to report that I had an amazing night of sleep! No neck pain, no stiffness, zero tossing and turning, no insomnia, no waking up during the middle of the night, and no waking up early. I put my head down, fell asleep, and slept like a log for about 7.5 hours straight, which is literally unheard of in my world. I'm very lucky if I get 5 solid hours of sleep. I woke up and popped out of bed. My mood was great (still is later in the day) and I was not tired in the afternoon when I normally feel the fatigue kicking in. This is the first day for as long as I can remember that I do not feel that nagging tiredness behind my eyes and in my body that always seems to be a steady background actor in my life. I feel great and full of energy and I was able to tackle a bunch of tasks on my someday list. This is so promising I didn't want to wait to share. If you are on the fence and are dealing with similar issues to mine, I'd encourage you to just try these. What's also amazing is these come in a set. I'm only using one so I basically have another one to use if the first one ever fails. This is the best investment for sleep I've ever made! Update: Well, after a trial period I'm removing a star because my dreamy sleep was short lived. I started to wake up more frequently during the night with these and gave up midway through the night one night. I'm still using these for back support while I sit up or hang out in bed because they are still super comfortable that way and oddly these work well for naps. Hopefully, you have better luck than me!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2026

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