Noah's mom and dad pick him up one day at school, and tell him that he is now going to go by Jonah, and that they are leaving immediately for the German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany. He has no time to say goodbye to his friends. Additionally, his birth date has been changed, and his parents' names too. Why is the move so sudden? Why so secret? Can he speak German clearly enough with his stutter? When Noah gets to the GDR, he makes one friend Claudia (which comes out sounding like Cloud). This book was an interesting look at the period when the Wall was about to come down. I loved the secret files at the end, which provided historical context at the end of each chapter.