The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel
OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD!
The New York Times bestseller--for fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
From the bestselling author of Truths I Never Told You, Before I Let You Go, and the 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.
"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 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 newest novel, The Paris Agent, where a family's innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery featuring two female SOE operatives comes to light!
For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for
The New York Times bestseller--for fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
From the bestselling author of Truths I Never Told You, Before I Let You Go, and the 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.
"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 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 newest novel, The Paris Agent, where a family's innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery featuring two female SOE operatives comes to light!
For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for
- Before I Let You Go
- Truths I Never Told You
- The Warsaw Orphan
- The German Wife
- The Midnight Estate
BUY THE BOOK
Join a book club that is reading The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel!
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Things We Cannot Say* compellingly weaves WWII Poland with present-day America through emotionally rich, female-driven stories of lov...
This is a beautiful story about love and sacrifice even during one of our history's darkest times. Like many historical stories, this one is a dual narrative, one during the war and one in modern time. They work well together and eventually merge. I tend to like the historical story better in these dual time frames and I figured out some of the connection before it was revealed but was still surprised by a thing or two. In 1942, a young couple exchange wedding vows just inside the tents of a Russian refugee camp. But with their vows is a secret that will alter their lives and will remain buried for more than half a century. Alina always knew she would marry her childhood friend, Tomasz. Alina is not concerned about reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border. She works on her family's rural farm and dreams about the day when Tomasz will return from college in Warsaw. Little by little Nazi occupation takes hold of Poland and Alina realizes her visits from Tomasz are farther and farther apart. As her world is slowly ripped apart, Alina learns about real sacrifice. In modern day, Alice's story has its own challenges. Alice's marriage needs a serious wake up call, she has put her career on hold for their 2 children, gifted ten year old daughter and seven year old son on the autism spectrum, a mother who's never understood her life decisions, and a elderly sick grandmother who is asking Alice to return to her birthplace in Poland and find some people from her past. Her plate is full. These dual stories are so well written and each beautifully told. The Nazi occupation and the affect on the town and families is heartbreaking. I did get a little annoyed with Alice in the modern day story thinking her husband couldn't care for their son as well as she could. But that was a minor thing compared to all the devastation in the historical story. Ultimately, this is story about seeing the goodness in others, whether you are Catholic or Jewish, and helping each other because you are human beings.
This is a very good winter read for someone looking for character development, historical fiction, female driven characters and that emotional attachment storyline that ends with your heart strings plucked. Jumping between the timeline of the Western world today and 1942 Poland. It is a beautiful concept of a story in the manner of the grandmother and great grandson both unable to communicate in the traditional manner and how the main character navigates their desires and dreams to give them what they want and need. I can see why a certain demographic loved this to be 5 stars as the author does write well and cover history in a touching manner without getting too into detail. The author lets your knowledge of the past fill the blanks.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.