The House of One Thousand Eyes

Gr 10 Up—Lena Altmann's parents were killed in an explosion at the freight car factory where they worked. Her subsequent nervous breakdown led to a stay in a mental institution, and now she has been taken in by her Communist aunt. Auntie lives and breathes for the Party, and expects Lena to do the same, snagging her niece a cleaning lady's job at the headquarters of the Stasi, East Germany's brutal and mysterious secret police during the 1980s. Little does Auntie know that every night, Lena is sexually abused by a high-ranking Stasi official she can only bring herself to call Herr Dreck—Sir Filth. The only respite from this everyday nightmare are her Sunday visits to her Uncle Erich. Together, he and Lena make up fantastical and wonderful worlds that are wildly different from the regimented and cold world in which they live. So when Erich suddenly disappears, Lena will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. Set during a period of history that readers may know little about, Barker's novel is atmospheric, depressing, but powerful. Lena's transformation from a meek and shy girl to a strong, brave, and fierce heroine is sure to empower plenty of readers. Barker's prose, which is at once lyrical and sharp, will immerse teens in the authoritarian regime. This is an inspiring story about an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances who rises above them, complete with an ending that readers may not see coming.