The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel – A NYT Bestseller Romance Drama of Polish Courage

I purchased this book for my wife, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She found the story engaging and emotionally powerful, with well-developed characters and an interesting WWII backdrop. The blend of historical fiction and personal drama kept her turning the pages. A wonderful choice for anyone who enjoys historical novels.

Very interesting story. Well written. Enjoyed learning about Poland before and during WW2. A little slow at times and I almost lost patience with the way Alice treated her husband and her over protectiveness of Eddie. Callie just seemed a little too mature for a 10 year old, even if she was a genius. I liked this book. Parts of it were tough to read and very emotional

Good story. Took a while to get going, but eventually rounded out beautifully. As a frequent visitor of Krakow, it was fun to read about the familiar, beautiful places and food.

This is a wonderful and complex love story that takes place during the most horrific moments of WWII. It’s a generational story of family, tragedy, sacrifice, love, trust and loyalty. The author shows the depth of characters rarely seen today.

One of the best reads I’ve done. Heartfelt, emotional and a beautiful story. I highly recommend reading this book! Couldn’t put it down

This is a wonderfully written story about love, loyalty, hope, and sacrifice. I always enjoy a dual timeline historical fiction text.

As we all go through our lives everything we do is intricately woven with the loves around us. Those who've come before us have made us as much as we make them when we enter their lives. This story is just that type in a beautiful crossing of paths.

I began reading this book and almost put it aside as not very interesting, but I plodded on....by the last few chapters I was a finding it difficult to read through my tears and not wanting to put it down for a moment. The story has had a profound effect on me, and I am so very pleased I read it. This story of a Polish family during WWI and the present day daughter and extended family is a powerful one. The children of immigrants often do not understand nor care to truly grasp the lives of their immigrant parents/grandparents. This is especially so when those elders don't explain their circumstances or what it meant to live in a wartime country. This book tells the story from two aspects, one of a young Polish woman, very much in love, who lives on a small farm with her family during the war and during the Nazi occupation of her country, and her granddaughter in present day Florida with her own family challenges with an autistic son. Early on in the book, as I indicated previously, I was less than enthusiastic with the plot as the 96- year-old Polish grandmother has been hospitalized due to stroke. Her granddaughter has arrived to her hospital bed and is met with the problem of lack of communication with her grandmother due to effects of the stroke. This is where her autistic son becomes key to the plot. Without spoiling the story I will leave it here only to say this made the story very rich throughout. The author obviously did much research into the occupation of Poland and destruction of gentle life in a farming community. I have read, at length, many varying accounts of this era and must say this truly gives a sense of the fear and desperation of the people whose lives are so changed as they are enslaved by the Nazis. This is a timeless love story that will grab your heart and explains so much about why we must never forget the past. I highly recommend this book and feel it has much to teach us. I am so glad I decided to read on. Prepare to cry.

The multi layered narrative is a real page turner. I learnt historical information that I was not aware of - it was a true eye opener. The difficulties encountered by Alice as a mother, were things I could identify with. I am a huge fan of Kristen Hannah and Ken Follet - Kelly Rimmer is now officially one of my favourite authors too !!

After reading this book, one cannot help but compare the terrible invasion of Poland in 1939 with the senseless invasion taking place in Ukraine today. Perhaps that is why Poland is so ready to assist the refugees pouring into its country today, because the memory of what happened so long ago is still in everyone's mind. Why don't we learn from our past mistakes? Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for university in Warsaw, he proposes to her. But when her village of Trzebinia falls into Nazi hands, Alina doesn't know whether Tomasz is dead or alive. The story is told in two timelines, both equally compelling. It is 2019 when Alice's Polish grandmother suffers a stroke and has little time to live. Unable to speak, she desperately conveys the urge to seek out Tomasz in Poland. But Tomasz was Alice's grandfather, who died last year. Is Grandma suffering from a memory lapse or is she hiding a bigger secret? I absolutely loved this book. The characters were multi-layered and so imperfect that they seemed real. We follow Alice, who struggles with a young son with Asperger's Syndrome, a prodigy daughter and a work-addicted husband as she travels to Poland and begins to uncover a heartbreaking story that will touch her family in more ways than one. I braced myself for the ugly cry I knew was coming and I wasn't wrong. It made me feel so many emotions. 😢 The writing style was exquisite and I loved how each chapter slowly brought us closer to the truth as I hoped Grandma 𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑐𝑖𝑎 would hang on until Alice could give her the answer she had been waiting for. This is a poignant story of loss, sacrifice, unconditional love and family bonds. Can't recommend it enough.

I think I have read the book in less than a week. I couldnt stop reading. Alina and Alice family had a hard Time, but love is above all.

Written in a way that English 2nd language young adolescents can read it.

Read it in four days. I went through a valley full of emotions. My mother was born in Breslau in 1939. It couldn't be her story, and yet it was her story and mine. Polish history. Jewish history. German history. The title says what's going on inside me. The unspeakable wants to come to light, and yet no words can be found. Instead, unspeakable pain. Guilt. After all these years. Hope. Humanity. This story is one of many, and at the same time, it is the story. I wish I could put this story into the hearts of everyone. We could use this salvation.