I really loved this story! (I thought I read somewhere it's to be a trilogy and I hope so.... There has to be more)
Ella is living on the East side of Germany as the Berlin Wall goes up. Her adopted brother and best friend make it over the wall before it's completed but Ella stays behind to care for her dying, adoptive father. After his death, she goes to work for a rich man who has involvement with bad men. She eventually (although one time, he's quite rude to her in front of his friends) falls in love with the son, Stefan, even though they would never be allowed together. Not only because of their status, but because of their different skin color.... Stefan is white and Ella is black. A lot happens in their secret relationship until Stefan is forced to join the army for 10 years.
It's a beautiful love story in a very hard time in history!