Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians will starve unless they receive food, medicine and more by air.
USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children's shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….
Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing under the assault of 'General Winter.'
In this, the second book of the Bridge to Tomorrow Series, the story of the Berlin Crisis continues where "Cold Peace" left off.
Helena P. Schrader is a former U.S. diplomat, who earned her PhD in Modern History from the University of Hamburg. She spent roughly one-third of her life in Berlin and first explored the pivotal events of the Berlin Crisis 1948-1949 in her comprehensive non-fiction study The Blockade Breakers: The Berlin Airlift. Schrader is the author of six non-fiction books and twenty novels, eleven of which have earned a total of 31 literary awards and 25 lesser accolades. Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series, won First Place for Historical Fiction in the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2024. In addition, it was the runner-up for "Book of the Year 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company after earning gold in the category wartime fiction. Cold Peace also won silver from Readers Favorites in the category "PoliticalTthriller," won a Maincrest Media Award, a Brag Medallion and was a finalist for a Book Excellence Award.
Praise for the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series
"Magnificent Story, Compelling History...Cold Peace is a magnificently conceived story on a grand scale (who writes trilogies anymore?) with dynamic characters, detailed yet evocative prose, and compelling history." - Book Trib
"The first in Helena P. Schrader's trilogy that retells the dramatic story of the Berlin Airlift, Cold Peace draws the reader in with the author's rich cast of characters, engrossing human drama, and impressive historical research." - Indie Reader
"Schrader is a sharply descriptive writer who captures the atmosphere and minute details of life in postwar Berlin with photographic precision…The novel ambitiously juggles several major characters, and the author ably handles the tricky task of making each well rounded and psychologically believable. She provides in-depth background information that reveals not only the players' past, but also their understanding of one another. … Overall, this is a smart and compelling read, punctuated by gripping aerial sequences, political tension, and a dash of romance. It will likely have military fiction fans clamoring for the next installment. Sharp research meets vivid storytelling in an absorbing novel of the postwar period." - Kirkus Reviews
"In her compelling novel Cold Peace, Helena P. Schrader delves into complexities of post-WWII Germany and the roots of the Berlin Airlift. ... Schrader's plotting is intricate and engaging. She deftly guides readers through the political and cultural landscape of a Berlin divided into four quarters... Schrader's fiction is deeply rooted in historical fact, interweaving fictional characters with real historical figures ... [Readers] will find Cold Peace rewarding...." - Blue Ink
"Cold Peace …. [is a] fast-paced, suspenseful, emotional, and riveting story that any reader will find almost impossible to put down. … The settings are perfect, the writing is superb, and the plot is very well-crafted. … Cold Peace is a riveting and wonderfully written example of historical fiction and definitely stands out as one of the best. … I have become a huge fan." - Feathered Quill
