Now a New York Times bestseller!From the author of Truths I Never Told You, Before I Let You Go, and the upcoming The Warsaw Orphan, Kelly Rimmer’s powerful WWII novel follows a woman’s urgent search for answers to a family mystery that uncovers truths about herself that she never expected.“Kelly Rimmer has outdone herself. I thought that Before I Let You Go was one of the best novels I had ever … herself that she never expected.
“Kelly Rimmer has outdone herself. I thought that Before I Let You Go was one of the best novels I had ever read…If you only have time to read one book this year The Things We Cannot Say should be that book. Keep tissues handy.”—Fresh Fiction
“Fans of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls will adore The Things We Cannot Say.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author
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.
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate.
Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.
Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative. The Things We Cannot Say is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it.
Don’t miss Kelly Rimmer’s new and unforgettable novel, The Warsaw Orphan.
more
This book was amazing. So hard to put down. The history was well researched and the plot was compelling.
An unpredictable book with tragic happenings but moving story – well done!
The BEST book I read in 2020 (and I read 50)
This is a well-written book with a very interesting premis. After I finished the book, it stayed with me a while. The format of flashbacks was very effective.
I loved this book. Every page was something exciting. Last part of the book was very sad.
Really enjoyed this book! Could not put it down,
Get your Kleenex box ready! There was so much I loved about this book, but I don’t want to accidentally give away anything, so I will keep this short. The dual timeline was well done, and I loved how it all came together in the end. I also enjoyed the Polish perspective and while this is mostly about WWII, there were some surprising twists. Lovely themes about marriage and family too.
Excellent book. I love most of her books!
I am giving this book 4 stars due to the language in this book.
The things we cannot say takes us back in time to a world most of us cannot imagine while mixing with modern times.
After Alice’s grandmother suffers a stroke she can no longer speak and relies on her great grandson’s Ipad to relay her thoughts, she keeps repeating “find Thomas” which Alice finds odd considering her grandfather Thomas recently passed away the year before.
With a trip to Poland in her near future, Alice sets out to find Thomas and uncover the secrets of her grandmother’s unmended past.
This book is one of love, inspiration, courage, and tragedy, one for the ages, and i recommend it to anyone who is enthralled by WWII fiction.
I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction and loved how the present day story and the historical story came together. Aleena’s story was one of courage and loss and Alice was on a mission to help her babcia (polish for grandmother) even though she didn’t fully understand what her babcia needed her to do. Alice learns quite a bit about her babcia, but also about herself and how to let go of the control she has always needed to have over every aspect of her and her family’s life. I would definitely recommend this book.
Another great story about the bravery of the Polish people during WWII.
My favorite book of 2019.
An excellent, page turning novel that captures your heart as you unravel the family saga.
Excellent book with two simultaneous plots and I loved both of them. I recommended this book to my book club and it was well received.
Loved this book. Such a great story about people living and some surviving Nazi occupied Poland.
This was a perfect prelude to our trip to Poland next year to search for our roots. Will truly inspire you.
I felt this book was very dull in the first few chapters but it did get more interesting, portraying the history of WWII with a lot of heart.
It should have been better. The ending was disjointed and came to a too quick conclusion.
Great book!!!
The Things We Cannot Say is one of the best books that I have read in a long time, The characters are unforgettable. If you only read one book this year, it should ne this one.