The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel

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As for the audiobook, I had a (minor?) issue with it. I am not sure if affected my enjoyment a lot but it's still worth mentioning. So we have a narrator for Alina and another for Kelly. AHHHHHHH!! I ABDOLUTELY ADORE when GRANDPARENTS/GRANDCHILDREN relationships are explored in a story! And this being a WW novel makes the promise all the more stronger and emotional!

Kelly Rimmer — KELLY RIMMER Books by Kelly Rimmer — KELLY RIMMER

The plot was interesting, but a little slow at times. Also, the progression sometimes felt forced and not organic. But the slowness and the rough parts were small and did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Thankfully there were not too many coincidences . . . coincidences have tainted other books like this for me before. At the end of the book there is a list of discussion questions. The last question asks what will you remember most about this book. I will remember how important it is that we don’t forget what happened. I will remember this very beautiful love story, the goodness of people reflected by characters like Tomasz. In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Rimmer told this story via a dual narrative - effortlessly weaving historical fiction with a modern day story. Alina's story is set amidst the harrowing timeframe of Nazi occupied Poland. Through her narrative we experience unimaginable atrocities of war, loss of family and friends and the heartbreak and joy of true love. I was completely drawn in by Alina's story. Her strength and capacity to love and remain hopeful in such a dark time was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking. The second narrative is set in present day. Alice is dealing with a stressful homelife - an autistic son, a gifted daughter, a marriage in crisis and her beloved Babica's (grandmother) stroke. Knowing her time on this earth is coming to an end, Babica tasks Alice with returning to her childhood country of Poland to find people from her past. And Alice is trapped in a life, responsibilities of her little boy, suffering from Asperger syndrome and her genius daughter, neglected by her workaholic husband. By giving up her work life, she is dedicated herself to her children but when she gives her word to her grandmother to find her ancestors in Poland, she finally understands how lost she is. By leaving her comfort zone, learning to be brave, she finds herself as like Alina has done decades ago.

Alina is the youngest daughter of the Dziak family. Truda her oldest sister is married to Mateusz. Alina's twin brothers, Filipe and Stanislaw help her father, Bartuk, and her mother, Faustina with farming. Alina, being the youngest, gets away with doing less work and uses any free time she has to spend it with Tomasz, her true love. The slow pace of the reveals insists that readers have ample opportunity to feel the broad-ranging emotions and bond with the characters, each of whom is endearingly flawed, heroic, fragile and human. The tears that I cried as I read the climax of this story would probably rival the Niagara. Although Kelly Rimmer is an established author, this was my first experience with her storytelling and now I am hungry to read more. I felt that the author's note was deeply fascinating and the fact that it is inspired by some of Rimmer's own family history makes this book so memorable.

The Things We Cannot Say — KELLY RIMMER

Alina’s quiet little town is taken over by Nazis, and the climate becomes divisive and hateful. At the same time, Tomasz completely disappears. She waits and waits to hear from Tomasz as Nazi soldiers patrol her family’s farm. There was nothing to bury, no body to conduct a service over. Instead, we heard that he was gone, and that was that… Nothing had changed, except that nothing was the same anymore, because once I had two brothers, and now I had one… Our oppression was loss without reason, and pain without a purpose. Another entry in the recent trend of female protagonists during WWII genre. Some of these books have been hits ( The Alice Network) and some have been misses ( The Lost Girls of Paris). It has been interesting to read them, but sometimes it feels like the genre is getting over-saturated. Because of that, I took a break for a while before trying The Things We Cannot Say, but my family kept recommending it, so I figured it was time to give it a try.Extremely engaging!!!!!EASY - ADDICTING LISTENING...the type of story that involves readers so personally - the book never needs to end. I especially loved the historical part... but the modern part becomes equally moving the closer we get to the end.

The Things We Cannot Say - Historical Novel Society

I am having a hard time coming up with the words to describe the beauty and the heartbreak of this story. When it leaves you practically speechless and continually thinking about the significance of what you just read, that pretty much ‘says’ it all. The story is told in a dual timeline, something very trendy apparently nowadays in WWII books. One during the war in Poland and the other in the present day. And obviously, the two timelines will connect. War breaks us down to nothing more than our most selfish will to survive— but when we rise above that instinct, miracles can still happen. The title gives us a clue that something kept secret in this family. But this poetically written, heartwarming, amazing story is not about the family secrets , it’s about the words we keep inside and it’s about the emotions we hide. It’s about the reconnection of the family by reaching their roots and discovering their ancestors and an epic, unconditional, never ending love story defeats the time, dead and war. As Alina's health declines and her ability to speak ebbs, she utilizes Eddison's adaptive technology on his I-pad to communicate her needs and wishes. Alina implores Alice to travel to Poland on a quest but the quest is unclear.

Lots to Love: Even though the histfic aspect of The Things We Cannot Say is interesting, the love story is compelling and heartbreaking, the grandmother/granddaughter relationship is heartfelt, and the theme of reconciliation is memorable.

The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel

I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”Kelly Rimmer's depth of research enriches this story of war, persecution, tragedy, sacrifice, grief and - above all - love.