If you look at maps of social or political data of Germany’s Bundesländer, it’s almost certain that a geographic pattern between east and west will be visible. The Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) existed as a country for less than 50 years, and dissolved shortly before I was born. The book traverses the entirety of the country’s lifespan, and tries to give a more holistic view of the society that was built there. As one might expect, Hoyer follows the central political figures of the DDR, and discusses the influence of the Stasi, but the care that Hoyer has put into pulling from everyday experiences of former citizens of the country throughout the book is apparent.