“On the surface we have merely the story of a sensitive woman as recalled by her friend. On this level Christa T. was a good citizen who did as she was told and lived a seemingly unexceptional life. But between the lines lies the real story of Christa T. -- the story of an individual crushed by the presures of uniformity. If you bear in mind it is the first novel of any consequence to emerge from Ulbricht's East Germany, then it becomes something of a literary landmark.” —John Barkman, New York Post

“The contours of silence and the outline of things articulately left unsaid loom large in the muted brilliance of this novel.” —Ernst Pawek, The New York Review of Books

“It is a courageous boot that breaks taboos and, as we have come to expect from Christa Wolf, it is infused with an integrity and a deep moral concern. . . ” —The (London) Times Literary Supplement