The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel

· Sold by Harlequin
4.8
83 reviews
Ebook
416
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

The New York Times bestseller—for fans of All the Light We Cannot See!

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

Ratings and reviews

4.8
83 reviews
Brianne Walker
July 8, 2023
The book seemed to start a little slow, but was well worth pushing through. The characters are clearly flawed in a way that is actually relatable rather than just being inserted to frustrate the reader. This made for a beautiful story with people that I couldn't help but feel invested in.
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Monica Starns
October 23, 2023
I absolutely loved this book and the journey it took me on. I will admit, it was slow at first but things quickly started falling into place. This book filled my heart, broke it, and then put it back together again.
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Danielle W.
July 2, 2020
This book was absolutely amazing. The way the author ties all of the stories together and leaves no loose ends is so wonderful. This book is gripping and lovely. Dealing with WWII, you know it's probably going to be an emotional rollercoaster - and it is. By the end I was crying from joy and from sadness. This is one of those books that kept me up, literally, all night. 1 - because the story is completely engrossing and you feel so many emotions for the characters and you need to see how the story is going to end. And 2 - because even when you try to sleep after reading this book, it is hard to stop thinking about the complete atrocity that was and is the Holocaust. This book was well researched and I actually learned a few things about occupied Poland that I didn't know - and I thought I knew a lot already about occupied Poland. I am already recommending this book to friends and family. Sometimes we all need a good cry.
22 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Kelly Rimmer is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including The Secret Daughter and The Things We Cannot Say. Her books have sold more than one million copies, and have been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide. Kelly lives in rural Australia with her family and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil.

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