The Wall Crossers

Beginning - Overview of the Story

Step into the captivating world of "The Wall Crossers," a spellbinding tale set against the backdrop of Cold War-era West Berlin in 1971 and 1972 to the latter half of the 21st century, from Berlin to Bhutan. This narrative weaves together the lives of six remarkable women, each navigating their own journey of love and self-discovery amidst the looming presence of the Berlin Wall.

At the heart of the story is a transgirl serving in the US Army, stationed to defend the infamous barrier dividing the city. Across the divide, a young man in the East risks everything to reunite with his beloved fiancée in the West, embarking on a perilous journey to scale and cross the imposing structure.

Guiding the intricate threads of fate is a powerful clairvoyant woman, whose lineage holds surprising connections to the soldier and her entourage. Through non-linear timelines and intimate first-person perspectives, readers are invited to immerse themselves in the innermost thoughts and emotions of the characters, experiencing the highs and lows of their enthralling journey firsthand.

Note 1: for some chapters, the speaker's perspective is indicated, and for others, there are mixed perspectives within the same chapter--indicated by subheadings in italics

Note 2: Caution: This narrative contains themes of sexual situations, violence, and abuse, which may not be suitable for all readers.

Note 3: This is a transreal novel, fusing psychological depth with a blend of the surreal and real-life experience, on a canvas of personal, autobiographical, reality

Cast of Characters:
(ages provided are as of beginning of story)

Aáina: the seer and warrior girl of the future as prophesied by Elisabeta.

Amélie Callens: Leida's future great granddaughter, who will be born in 2018; some day to be a politician according to Elisabeta

Anja Walena: a vivacious and self-reliant West Berliner girl who longs to be reunited, finally, with her mysterious East Berliner boyfriend, to marry; she works for the US Army as a German civil servant in logistical planning; she and Olivia become close friends, and maybe so much more? (20)

Clarence/Clarita Alvarez: a low-ranking non-commissioned officer stationed in Berlin and attached to the powerful Provost Marshal of Berlin (the PM is an officer who is the head of military police and who performs some court proceedings); despite their rank, Clarence seems to have more power than any other soldier in the Berlin Brigade; born biologically female, Clarence is what would today be called gender fluid (mid-20's)

Corporal Jimmy Felder: a US Army team leader in the Berlin Brigade Andrews Barracks where Olivia resides; he bullies Olivia incessantly (30?)

Dechen Tiwari: Geena's future great grandson, who will be born in 2016; some day to be a scientist according to Elisabeta.

Éléonore Laurent: Clarence's girlfriend; she is a Belgian working at a German bank in Berlin on a work visa; Olivia says she is the most beautiful woman she has ever seen, and wonders at the implausible relationship Éléonore has with her soldier boyfriend Clarence

Elisabeta Dolca: a witchy-powerful clairvoyant who seems to possess knowledge of the power of the blue stones; she has a single-minded focus for her life, and is, at times, harshly cold and cunning in its pursuit (47)

Elke Lehmann: a gorgeous, tough yet tender, fiercely loyal woman whose father is Jewish by heritage; she is a leader in a clandestine organization whose aim is reunification of the divided Germanies; she is Anja's co-worker at the world-war-two-era Air Ministry Building, which now serves as Headquarters of the Berlin Brigade; her assigned work duties are stenography and typing, but she also serves as backup to Anja in her planning role; Elke eventually comes to realize that she has the capability to turn the tide of history for several other people—will she use it? (23)

Florian: Elisabeta's nephew in Belgium; Florian is a handsome young man, a magnanimous person who lives with his father (Elisa's brother), giving himself to his work, his community and to family when they are in need—a noble person; one day, from out of the blue, he changes the course of Olivia's life forever (25)

Geena Tiwari (Negeen): One of Patrizia's agents; is Bhutanese and introduces Olivia to the legend of the Thunder Dragon

Herr Helmut Walena: Anja's Papá; he is an industrial engineering consultant; he raised Anja and wishes for her to marry well, for future security above all; he believes his daughter is naïve in matters of love, but he is proud of her independent spirit and her accomplishments at such a young age

Herr Roland Offenbrücke: Leida's Vati (daddy); he is a business manager working for the West German state of Baden-Württemberg, where the Offenbrücke family live; he loves his daughter and respects her almost as an equal, but he would like her to be straight in matters of sexuality; he despised Leida's girlfriend who hurt her so

Horst Kullack: Anja's fiancé who lives in the East and cannot get to Anja save for illegally and perilously scaling the Berlin Wall which is guarded continuously by armed soldiers ordered to kill anyone attempting an escape; Horst plans to make such an attempt—and very soon (20)

Jelena Rosser: Anja's best friend since middle school; she protects Anja and treats her like a younger sister; Jelena's is a powerful persona with penetrating eyes, even whose glance can subdue any adversary; willing to crush any person who might try to disturb Anja, yet even she herself controls Anja in an uncomfortable way at times; she comes from a well-to-do family and, at an early age, is a successful supervisor of a large team of clerks at the giant electrics firm Siemens; she detests Olivia, regarding her as a typical "love them, then leave them" soldier

Karin Afflerbach: Leida's Editor in the magazine firm where they are employed; she is also a client of Elisabeta

Leida Offenbrücke: a beautiful but connivingly ambitious cosmopolitan journalist; she is a lesbian and a client of Elisabeta, trusting this strange woman more than any other person in her life; she has an apartment in Offenburg, West Germany, near her magazine's headquarters, as well as one in Berlin, where she spends much of her time writing and interviewing people; she is coming off of a terrible breakup, but her future glitters with hope based on Elisabeta's foretelling (22)

Lizet Callens-Aupperle: Elisabeta's precocious yet elusive Belgian great granddaughter who discerns more about the outcomes of all their stories than one of her young age should conceivably know (9)

Maren: a civil servant working for the US Army and Olivia's co-worker; Leida's best friend; she is bisexual and always bragging about exploits with her latest fling; Olivia admits she is more afraid of Maren than even any soldier in the Berlin Brigade! Though Maren is quick-tempered, she adores her friend Leida and would make any sacrifice for her (early-20's?)

Monika Offenbrücke: Leida's younger sister; a big-hearted, compassionate girl; easily impressionable, especially by Elisabeta; in love with Gui Aupperle, a hippie, who is despised by Monika's father (20)

Niels Kepner: a rapidly advancing career German diplomat, his family long-time friends of the Walenas; he is obsessed with Anja and determined to secure her as his wife (late-20's)

Olivia Reary: an American transgender girl soldier whose spirit was damaged by the war in Southeast Asia; after deploying from war, she was given orders to be stationed in Berlin, assigned to the Berlin Brigade records detachment in the same office with Maren and in the same building as Anja and Elke; she falls in love with... (you have to read the story to answer this question!) Known to some as the soldier girl. (19)

Patrizia Becker: a leader in the Cry East, Try West organization, who help plan the logistics and reception of escapees from East to West; but Patrizia also somehow seems to be secretly involved in some sort of US Army Intelligence initiative, or else something that is possibly nefarious; she is a cold, calculating, overconfident, polished, ruthless reiver, one who plunders to take what she will to serve her purpose or sate her desires; it is possible too that she may have been brainwashed by someone or some group. Drunk on power and SM urges? It could be she is merely insane. (early 30's?)

Raphaela: the ex-girlfriend who mercilessly crushed Leida's spirit and confidence in love when they split up

Sergeant Jerry Ellis: Olivia and Maren's supervisor; an Army lifer who is a womanizer and provides favors to Maren for her attentions with the result that she easily wraps him around her finger; Sgt Ellis can and often does make Olivia's life a living hell