Thoughts are Free (Die Gedanken Sind Frei)

“I enjoyed it. Spanning decades marked with poignant political and social unrest, 'Thoughts are free' reveals how true friendship, like thoughts, cannot be restricted”.
Nell F December 2023

“ Thoughts are Free (Die Gedanken Sind Frei) resonates with us all and is very well presented in the short novel by author Debbie Brooker. The author provides us with a very descriptive “window”into the political; cultural; religious and geographical differences as seen through the eyes of two pen friends, one in Mackay, Australia and the other in Halle, Germany (formerly East Germany). Not only does Debbie Brooker provide historical insights, as lived by two individuals living far apart in very different circumstances, she also reminds us that no matter where we are in the world we are all people who possess critical thinking and our thoughts cannot be taken by anyone, remaining inalienable to each and every one of us.
It becomes evident that the author teaches us much from a first-person perspective as she is in actuality Kerry and happily, she did indeed fulfill her dream to finally meet her beloved pen friend in person in Berlin in August 2022 with her family.
I would highly recommend this short novel to young adults; however, as an adult reader I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
Stewart Juelich, Mississauga, Canada 🇨🇦

Thoughts are Free is a new novella from Debbie Brooker Author and available now in store! We know Debbie as a children's author however in this book she writes for a much older audience. I thoroughly related to it as an adult but there was something here that definitely rang of a young adult audience and I would certainly have recommended this story to my teenage readers when I was teaching secondary school English. This is the first novel I have read that introduces Covid-19 to the plot but this is not a story about the pandemic - it does though, give it a very contemporary feel and is very relatable. In this short novel Debbie takes us through a number of decades and manages to capture the feel of each period despite its short length. A tale of making connections across the globe and exploring similar life experiences in very different political, social and cultural circumstances. Debbie's writing, both here and in her children's books, invites us to explore big ideas in an approachable, concise and always relevant context. Thank you for sharing this one with us Debbie!

"I finally got to read your book last night. Now I can see – happily – all the wonderful connections we share. What a special relationship you had with your penpal friend. And how marvellous you have been able to honour it (and her) as you have. Hope she gets a copy! Thank you so much for letting me know all about your very special book and for providing me with a copy.
Congratulations! Just wonderful x
Ps I really think it's such a great story that I hope you get to share it with lots of people. Penpals create world harmony, I think.
Congratulations again on such a beautiful work and thanks once more for sharing." xxx