"An utterly spellbinding journey full of unexpected turns and nuanced characters, In Berlin reflects a triumph of the human spirit in the face of unexpected catastrophe. Silberstein has given us a gift: a deeply moving opportunity to look at tragedy with new eyes, and in doing so, to find hope and beauty in the most surprising of places." -Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States

"Silberstein's portrayal of life with a spinal cord injury is about as intimate as one can get without actually having experienced SCI on a personal level. The reader enters the protagonists' lives and travels their difficult and complex journey, from devastation and anger to acceptance and, finally, empowerment and hope. His novel is for the universe, and all readers will find bits of themselves in places they might not have realized." -Heather Krill, author of the novel True North and writer for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

"This is a page-turner of a novel rich in ideas. The story is packed with moments I recognize and yet it is wholly original, with characters who will surprise you again and again. They remind us what it's like to be alive now, in a tumultuous era of dazzling possibilities and tremendous challenges. An important book." -Stanley Sagov, MD, former Chair, Department of Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital

"... a finely crafted novel of geopolitics, ambition, and competing loyalties. Original, exceptional, inherently compelling, and as relevant as today's nightly news headlines, In Berlin is a fascinating read from start to finish." -Midwest Book Review

"As someone who has lived with paraplegia for nearly 40 years, I was deeply moved. ... Silberstein captures, with remarkable honesty and empathy, the complex emotional landscape of living with paralysis-both the grief of losing control over your body and the quiet, hard-won gratitude that emerges through adaptation. ... This book transported me. It offered a window into unfamiliar cultures, scientific frontiers, and deeply human questions of identity, resilience, and belonging. I felt seen, stretched, and reminded of how connection and determination can reshape even the most unexpected futures. ... In Berlin is a profoundly beautiful novel. I'm grateful to have read it and recommend it without reservation. " -Karen Roy, LCSW, Ms. Wheelchair America 2019

"Unexpected ... an intriguing, exciting, twisted, frustrating, entangled, non-conventional love story. Exposes life in a raw, the-way-it-is fashion, but still making it all so beautiful. The underlying message advocates for kindness and hope, despite the brutalities of the world, entrenched societal norms, and seemingly demoralizing life circumstances." -Nina Ephremidze, former host of Trip to Europe

"The author masterfully captures the local details of Syria with precision and authenticity through the character of Batul and her family. The narrative delves deeply and systematically into the structure of the Syrian family as shaped by war, raising questions about the social transformations that have reshaped it in its aftermath. Moreover, the text sheds light on the afflictions that have plagued this family in the realm of exile and displacement, portraying the struggles it has had to endure-not from a broad, detached perspective, but through an intimate exploration of Batul's psyche." -Ahmad Barghash, author of the novel Thalath Shamat Yahrasna al-Madina (Three Beauty Marks Guard the City)