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.

This novel will stay with me for a long while. It is a beautiful story of love. It deals with young love, the love of friends, love of parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren. It has two story lines that are intertwined. As an educator in an elementary school and the relative of stroke patients, I greatly enjoyed the portion of the story that dealt with communication issues. This is a must read!

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.

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

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.

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.

As a veteran reader of World War Ii novels, I think this one rates in my t11op five. The author creates authentic characters who gradually emerge from their varied life experiences. The story wraps itself around your heart and your memory. Although not a fan of stories that leap between two time periods, I found this novel seamlessly executed in no small part because the lives of those in wartime Poland were such an integral pa11rt of their family's modern American lives. The novelist draws some of her ideas from her research in and travel to connect with her own Polish family. The book emerges from a grandmother's dying wish to reveal her family story to the generations who grew up in America and to assure her final resting place. The granddaughter, a woman with an autistic son and a difficult marriage, decides she must fulfill her grandmothers wish as she was the "home" of her childhood Her journey, coupled with the concurrent, unfolding story of her grandmother's journey from childhood to adulthood, slowly puts together a picture of a remarkable woman. The grandmother's story is unforgettable ,painting a picture of he triumph of the human spirit in unbelievably difficult circumstances. The two men, who are integral to her story, are as remarkable as she in overcoming obstacles with courage and determination. Additionally, the impact of the grandmother on the three generations that follow is beautiful to observe. A story summary cannot begin to do justice to thisnovel. Suffice to say that the author is as sensitive to the nuances of life in an occupied country as she is to the complexity of modern family life. This is a special reading experience that is more than a story but rather an insightful portrait of human lives as lived in vastly circumstances. This is one book you will not want to miss! .

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.