User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Five remarkable, epic, tear jerking stars!
The title gives us a clue that something kept secret in this family. But this poetically written, heartwarming, amazing story is not about the family secrets , it’s about the words we keep inside and it’s about the emotions we hide. It’s about the reconnection of the family by reaching their roots and discovering their ancestors and an epic, unconditional, never ending love story defeats the time, dead and war.
Our two heroines Alice, Alina are coming from different generations. Alina is young, good hearted and always protected by her family. During the struggling war times, she loses her loved ones and her family comfort zone which pushes her take braver decisions for her life. The love she has for Tomazs help her gather her strength, fight for all the obstacles by taking dangerous risks.
And Alice is trapped in a life, responsibilities of her little boy, suffering from Asperger syndrome and her genius daughter, neglected by her workaholic husband. By giving up her work life, she is dedicated herself to her children but when she gives her word to her grandmother to find her ancestors in Poland, she finally understands how lost she is. By leaving her comfort zone, learning to be brave, she finds herself as like Alina has done decades ago.
This book about finding yourself, taking risks, making sacrifices, reaching to your inner strengths, looking at your life from different perspective, fighting for your own beliefs till the end and true love stands still no matter life throws the toughest obstacles in the lovers’ way.
I loved “ Before I let you go”, an emotional, poignant family story. But this book is deeply affecting, lyrical, life changing and I absolutely loved this one more!
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Rating: really liked it
This is a story of war, of family, of loss, of sacrifice, of the goodness of people trying to save others because they saw each other as human beings, not as Jews or Catholics, and at its heart is a beautiful love story. It’s an important story as all Holocaust stories are because it’s focus is on the importance of remembering the things that happened, the importance of sharing those stories. So many novels these days are comprised of dual narratives, one in the past and one in a more modern time. They don’t always work, but that structure worked here perfectly and when the stories finally converged, even though the connection became apparent to me before that time, I cried. The moment was so emotional for the characters and Kelly Rimmer does a beautiful job of conveying it.
I almost always like the historical part better in these dual time frame narratives, and I did this time in the first half, but towards the end I became equally engaged in the modern story. I was immediately taken by Alina and Tomasz, two young people falling in love just as the Nazis began occupying Poland. Their vow to be together no matter what, is challenged by the horrific deeds of the Nazis that seem to work against them and their families at every turn. Alice in the recent story, which alternates with Alina ‘s, has challenges of her own - a marriage that doesn’t seem to be working, a seven year old son on the autism spectrum, a precocious ten year old daughter, a mother who hasn’t approved of Alice’s life choices and a very sick grandmother whom she loves dearly. Alice’s grandmother after suffering a stroke is asking Alice to go to her birthplace in Poland and find some people from her past. She can’t speak but is able to communicate with a communication tool that Alice’s son Eddie uses, an app on an iPad. I loved the relationship that Eddie has with his great grandmother.
Alina and Tomasz’s story and what is happening with the Nazi occupation and the affect on the town and these families is heartbreaking . Even though the camps and what is happening there is at a distance, the reader is not spared the horrific affects on the family, on the Jews around them. What happened in Alice’s grandmother’s past is something that she has not been able to bring herself to share until she is close to dying. Alice recognizes the importance of knowing the story. “What happens when stories like these are lost? What happens when there’s no one left to pass your experience on to, or you just can’t bring yourself to share it ?” I have often thought about how few Holocaust survivors are left.
This is a heartbreakingly beautiful book and is all the more meaningful when Rimmer tells us in a note that she traveled to Poland to visit her grandmother’s childhood home. She comments briefly on her inspiration for the book here : http://www.betterreading.com.au/news/...
At the end of the book there is a list of discussion questions. The last question asks what will you remember most about this book. I will remember how important it is that we don’t forget what happened. I will remember this very beautiful love story, the goodness of people reflected by characters like Tomasz.
This was a group read with the Traveling Sisters.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Harlequin - Graydon House Books through NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
The Things We Cannot Say had me crying and I usually don't cry when I read books, no matter how sad. But this story just tore the tears from me, in so many ways. Two time periods are linked together by one woman and the truth she couldn't tell, until her very last days.
In 1942, fifteen year old Polish Catholic Alina Dziak is poor, but she has her mother, father, and two doting brothers. The family lives on their small farm and eek out an existence in this place that is home for them. Alina's love is Tomasz, her best friend, and now fiance. Eighteen year old Tomasz is off to Warsaw to study to be a doctor and then Alina and Tomasz will marry and start a family of their own. But once the Nazis occupy Poland, grim reality slowly hits home, and death is at Alina's doorstep.
In the present day, eighty five year old Hannah is dying. She's having strokes, is in the hospital, and will probably never leave alive. Despite the fact that she can't communicate verbally, she has something she wants her granddaughter, Alice, to do for her. Alice, who is in a daily struggle to meet the needs of her son Eddie, seven years old, nonverbal, and on the autism spectrum. Eddie's means of communication becomes a way for Hannah to communicate her wishes with Alice and soon, Alice knows that Hannah has something very important for her to do.
Throughout the story, we switch between the narration of Alina and Alice and we begin to see just how they are connected. Alina's story is one of so much loss, of unbreakable loves, of heroic sacrifices, and the unimaginable inhumanity of man. Alice's is another story of love but also a story of letting go, so that she and her family can change and grow, in ways she didn't realize could ever be possible.
The story of Alina and Tomasz, tore my heart in two, the horror of the Holocaust being a reality, a simple life becoming an unrelenting, constant bombardment of brutality and death. And it is through Alice that we find out the secrets that Hannah has hidden from her family. Secrets that she and her husband Saul could never bring themselves to reveal about their days in Poland, during the Holocaust.
There is now a companion story to this one named The Warsaw Orphan.
Published February 26th 2019
Rating: really liked it
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
Survival, hardship, and heartbreak. It was deeply emotional, filled with knowledge about the Polish plight during WWII, and captured human relationships beautifully during the war. A compelling and poignant story. This is a story that brings into focus how quickly a society can be changed from one of peace and traditions when another government decides that it is their right to force their own beliefs. Definitely would recommend this book to all my friends.
It costs our ancestors too damned much for us to have this life - the best thing we can do to honor them is to live it to its fullest.
Beautifully sad.
Rating: really liked it
5 stars! Kelly Rimmer, you are a writing Queen!
I read “Before I Let You Go” last year which was my first book by Kelly Rimmer. I finished that novel overcome with unshakable emotion and a feeling of being forever changed. That storyline and those characters still haunt me to this day. This novel, although a completely different type of storyline, left me feeling the exact same. I was teary during the first page of the Prologue. I felt an intense emotional connection to the characters in the first few pages of Chapter 1. What does this tell me? The power behind Kelly Rimmer’s writing is undeniably impactful. Her words resonate so deeply within me, in ways I find hard to describe. She has easily earned a spot on my Favourite Authors list.
Alina Dziak is fifteen-years-old when this story begins in Nazi occupied Poland during WWII. She is engaged to Tomasz, her best friend who moved away to attend medical school. She dreams of their reunion when the chaos of war is a thing of the past and they can start a family. As the war persists, Alina has the opportunity to flee to safer territory where Tomasz could meet her to live the life they always dreamed of.
Told in dual timelines, both narratives and storylines kept me fully engaged. The characters were unique and unforgettable. I read a lot of WWII novels and yet, this story introduced me to a completely different wartime perspective which I truly appreciate learning about. It’s why I love reading historical fiction.
This was a Traveling Sister read that we all loved! To find this review, please visit our blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
Thank you to Edelweiss, Graydon House and Kelly Rimmer for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
The Things We Cannot Say is AVAILABLE NOW!
Rating: really liked it
Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say is my second World War II book set in Poland this year. This book switched between two sections, a modern-day section following Alice and a World War II section following Alina.
Alice is a mom, raising two children, Callie and Eddie, and trying to keep her marriage to Wade intact. Eddie is on the autistic spectrum, and Alice tries hard to meet Eddie where he is, advocating for him, and doting on him as a loving mother. While visiting her sick grandmother, she is asked to go on a mysterious trip to Poland.
Alina has been in love with Tomasz her entire life. However, when the Nazis invade her homeland of Poland, Tomasz is in danger.
How will these two stories intersect?
The format of the book works really well for The Things We Cannot Say. Additionally, I am thrilled, THRILLED, that those with disabilities were represented. The tension between Alice and Wade is real. Eddie deserves to be challenged and explore life, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. However, Eddie also will never be Callie. Finding the balance between unrealistic expectations and pushing someone is very difficult, and The Things We Cannot Say reflects that.
At the beginning of the book, there are several secrets that the readers are trying to discover. At some point, I figured out the big reveals. The big reveal is then explained by Alina. Then, Alice’s section also repeats the big reveal. Needless to say, there is a bit too much repetition and over explanation.
Although I enjoyed this book, it feels a little too long for my taste. Also, Grandmother never had two weeks to go on vacation to Poland to get some answers for herself? I find this very hard to believe.
In conclusion, I can see why so many people love The Things We Cannot Say. It is an interesting read, but I would have enjoyed it more if it was 100-200 pages shorter.
2022 Reading Schedule
Jan Animal Farm
Feb Lord of the Flies
Mar The Da Vinci Code
Apr Of Mice and Men
May Memoirs of a Geisha
Jun Little Women
Jul The Lovely Bones
Aug Charlotte's Web
Sep Life of Pi
Oct Dracula
Nov Gone with the Wind
Dec The Secret Garden
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Rating: really liked it
In The Things We Cannot Say Kelly Rimmer has penned a heartbreakingly powerful and hopeful love story set amidst the backdrop of war, loss and the unimaginable atrocities of WWII. Simply put this is the kind of book that grabs hold of you, envelopes you within it pages and holds on long after you have finished reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Rimmer told this story via a dual narrative - effortlessly weaving historical fiction with a modern day story. Alina's story is set amidst the harrowing timeframe of Nazi occupied Poland. Through her narrative we experience unimaginable atrocities of war, loss of family and friends and the heartbreak and joy of true love. I was completely drawn in by Alina's story. Her strength and capacity to love and remain hopeful in such a dark time was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking. The second narrative is set in present day. Alice is dealing with a stressful homelife - an autistic son, a gifted daughter, a marriage in crisis and her beloved Babica's (grandmother) stroke. Knowing her time on this earth is coming to an end, Babica tasks Alice with returning to her childhood country of Poland to find people from her past.
The journey Alice embarks on for her Babica was so poignant. As she uncovered her story, a story her Babica could never share, she not only uncovered her grandmother's truths but also discovered her own truths along the way. This story was filled with amazing relationships.
Rimmer is not afraid to explore family and all the complications that come with it. This is not about perfection. It's messy, complicated, filled with arguments, strife and doubt but at its core its solid and founded on love. This is my second book by Kelly Rimmer (the first being
Before I Let You Go ) and she has unequivocally captured me as a fan.
She captures human emotion with such heart and unflinching honesty. I urge you to add this one to the
top of your must read list. You will not be sorry.
A huge thank you to Kelly Rimmer, Harlequin, Graydon House Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this amazing book.
Rating: really liked it
One of my 2019 favorites! A can’t miss if you love powerful historical fiction! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Told in two timelines, we hear from Alina Dziak in 1942 just as she gets married in a Russian refugee camp. Her decision to marry will change her life and bury a lie for decades.
Young Alina Dziak grows up in Poland falling in love early with her best friend, Tomasz. She is engaged at fifteen, around the same time Nazi solders arrive at the border. Tomasz is away at college in Warsaw, and she waits for him to return so they can marry.
Alina’s quiet little town is taken over by Nazis, and the climate becomes divisive and hateful. At the same time, Tomasz completely disappears. She waits and waits to hear from Tomasz as Nazi soldiers patrol her family’s farm.
The second timeline features Alice, in modern times, and the mother of a child with autism. She also cares for her aging Babcia to whom she is very close. Babcia has secrets, and after having a stroke, she wants to talk and make requests at a time when she it’s not easy for her.
Kelly Rimmer knows how to write dual timeline stories. I was hooked on both narrators and their lives. As with all of her books, The Things We Cannot Say is powerful, epic, and so emotional. It’s full of love, loyalty, steadfastness, and hope. It’s about how silence can devastate and takes years or generations from which to heal.
Overall, The Things We Cannot Say is about seeing the good in those around us and believing in the power of redemption. I ate this book up from start to finish, and it’s on my list of favorites this year. It’s huggable, emotional, and beautifully-written. Did I already mention you shouldn’t miss it?!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
I am having a hard time coming up with the words to describe the beauty and the heartbreak of this story. When it leaves you practically speechless and continually thinking about the significance of what you just read, that pretty much ‘says’ it all.
There are dual narratives within the storyline. One told in the past and one in the present. One a grandmother, the other her granddaughter.
The past takes you back to WWII and what the grandmother and her fellow countrymen endured during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The present is how the granddaughter helps her grandmother find the answers she seeks and reconcile with the events of that horrific time in history.
This is one of those remarkable, and unforgettable reads. One that still leaves you stunned the Holocaust ever occurred. It is also about hope, family and sacrificial love.
Rating: really liked it
This beautifully crafted story weaves together the present and the past seamlessly with threads of heartbreak, sacrifice, and love!Two strong women, two unique voices, two different times, one stunning tale! Kelly Rimmer has spun a story Full of survival and love that you won’t soon forget! Miss Rimmer has poured her heart, her hope, and her own personal family history into these pages. No matter how many books I read about WWII I am always deeply impacted by the horror of war and the power of hate. I am also humbled by the sacrifice, generosity, and love of so many.
This book jumps between 1940s Poland and today. Both stories completely captivated me seemingly disconnected, but as more pieces were added to the puzzle things started to become more clearer. Alice’s story took place in present day, she is the mother of seven-year-old Eddie and 10-year-old Callie. Eddie is on the autism spectrum and nonverbal. Alice’s main focus in life now is to create an environment best suited for Eddie’s needs, something her husband Wade does not always understand or appreciate. When Alice’s beloved grandmother has a stroke and asks Alice to travel to Poland, will Alice refuse her grandmother’s dying wish? How can Alice’s family survive without her? Wade does not seem to understand all of Eddie’s quirks and needs. Poland late 1930s-early 1940s. Alina is a naïve teenager who thinks the hardest thing in her life will be staying away from her beloved fiancé Tomasz while he is away at college. It isn’t too long however before Alina Has to look reality right in the face. Germany has invaded Poland, her twin brothers are sent off to work camps, food is scarce, and freedom is gone. Alina soon learns that she is much stronger and vraver than she ever would have thought. Two courageous women faced with some pretty big challenges, how will their stories intertwine?
Alice and Alina were amazing women with big hearts and to whom family means everything. As a mother I really felt for Alice, i’d imagine it would be very difficult, challenging, and yet rewarding to have a child with special needs. I appreciated how this book addressed the impact this has on the family dynamics and the marriage. I loved Eddie’s bond with his great grandmother. I found the technology fascinating that he used( and Great grandma did as well) to communicate. Alina was a remarkable young lady, her story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. her strength and courage were admirable. It never fails to amaze me how far you can push the human spirit without it breaking, the resilience of so many inspires me.
A beautifully told stunning story packed with heart, hope, and emotion, have your tissue handy! Absolutely 100% recommend!
Song Running Through My Head
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by,
Weep not for the memories
Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad.
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Want to feel your warmth upon me
I want to be the one
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much to deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
I'm so afraid to love you
But more afraid to lose
Clinging to…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oxoEpVD...
*** many thanks to Headline for my copy of this book ***
Rating: really liked it
5 Glorious Stars!!
I mightily attempted to damp down my expectations going into this one, as just look at those overall ratings—4.55 average from over 1600 readers on Goodreads. I needn’t have worried however, as this book delivers all the goods and in a big way. It is one of the two best novels I have read all year, and I have read some outstanding books!
This novel is long, but there is never a spot that drags. It is filled with fear, sacrifice, agony, tragedy, death, strength, loyalty, forgiveness, and love. The plot is intricate, covering multiple topics, but Ms. Rimmer gives each one its due and weaves them all together into a beautiful narrative. There are two timelines. I have read many stories with two timelines and almost always favor one over the other. Not this time though. It was no problem switching back and forth from the WWII tale to the 2019 story as both captivated me equally.
I learned so much from The Things We Cannot Say, including facts about autism and its spectrum; the power of commication; the consequences of the WWII Nazi-occupation on the entire population of Poland; the remarkable lengths ordinary people will go to sacrifice their hopes and dreams in order to help not only their families, but others as well; how life can be and should be so much more than “the rat race” of keeping up with everyday mundane goals.
The characters are well drawn by Ms. Rimmer, and although the two protagonists, Alina and Alice, have their less than admirable moments, I loved them both. I must say though that Alina must hold the world’s record for shedding the most tears of any other fictional character in history!
The Things We Cannot Say is a phenomenally substantive novel. I cannot recommend it more highly for fans of historical fiction. It is simply a must read. Trust me.
Rating: really liked it
5 moje Wszystko stars!With fat tears running down my face, I'm writing this review.
It has been almost a year since The Things We Cannot Say came out yet life has made it impossible for me to read it before now. So many friends recommended it and they were not wrong. It's a beautiful devastating story. One that will be impossible to forget.I went in blind which I'm so happy I did. Kelly Rimmer does a beautiful job at creating Tomasz, Alina, Alice, Eddie, Emilia, Saul, and all others right in front of me.
The story begins with a wedding and then we jump to the past. A past that involves 6 million lives lost to the Nazi invasion to Poland, where 18% of the population was lost and 90 percent of Polish Jews died.
Alina is the youngest daughter of the Dziak family. Truda her oldest sister is married to Mateusz. Alina's twin brothers, Filipe and Stanislaw help her father, Bartuk, and her mother, Faustina with farming. Alina, being the youngest, gets away with doing less work and uses any free time she has to spend it with Tomasz, her true love.
Alina has known she wanted to be married to Tomasz since she was nine years old and he was twelve. Now, she is fifteen and Tomasz is ready for University. Just before he leaves to start medical school in Warsaw, Tomasz and Alina get engaged. Tomasz promises to return for her. Then WWII begins.
As farmers, Alina and her family live a hard yet comfortable life until the invasion. When the Nazis invade, everything changes drastically.
In the present (2019) Alice is dealing with her own crisis. Her dear babcia (grandmother) has had a stroke. Her son, Eddie who is the autism spectrum and communicates with an AAC app, is having a meltdown in the aisle of the store due to a yogurt label changed. Her daughter is a genius who needs constant stimuli and her husband is far from helpful with her son.
Then her Babcia communicates using Eddie's app and tells Alice:
"Babcia fire Tomasz".
The rest is for you to read.
A masterful piece is what The Things We Cannot Say novel is. It depicts the horrors of war, the fear, the famish, and so much death but also the bravery and the courage humanity can have during the worst of times.Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
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Rating: really liked it
It's live! The Things We Cannot Say is available NOW. This is a story I dreamed of writing for years, and I'm so excited to finally share it with you 😊
Rating: really liked it
Audiobook....
....voices by Ann Marie Gidean and Nancy Peterson
It’s rare that I ‘listen’ to Historical Fiction/WWII/Holocaust, books.
My thinking is usually I need to visually read the text for this genre - but this was offered up as an Audible daily special - so took a chance - and WOW... the narration read by ‘both’ women, ( Ann and Nancy), is outstanding.
A highly memorable WWII-audiobook-favorite!
...Extremely engaging!!!!!EASY - ADDICTING LISTENING...the type of story that involves readers so personally - the book never needs to end. I especially loved the historical part... but the modern part becomes equally moving the closer we get to the end.
...storytelling at its best!!!
...descriptions so visual - I felt like I was there.
...A lifetime of secrets - both in Poland and America
...suspense... twists and turns
...the two storylines work!!
...love, loss, family, relationships, autism, sacrifice, poverty, fears, horrors of the war, heartbreaking, heartwarming,
a little romance, laughter, and unexpected tears!
...Unexpected... POT of GOLD discovery....to like ‘another’ WWII story ‘this’ much!!!!
I LOVED IT!!!!!
I’ve redeemed my ‘burn-out’ with WWII/Holocaust books!
Give me more like this one!!!
5 strong stars!!!
Rating: really liked it
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin-Graydon House Books for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review. Well, this was such a great WWII era dual narrative that I am sure that it is going to be nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award later this year. In the contemporary storyline, you have Alice, a stay at home mother of two, who finds herself disconnected from her husband, criticized by her mother, and every day fighting on behalf of her special needs son. When her ailing grandmother, Hanna, pleads with Alice to make a trip to Poland, she soon realizes that neither she nor her family will ever be the same again.
In the 1938-1945 storyline, we have Alina, the youngest of four, who lives on the farm with her twin brothers and their hardworking parents in Poland. The story begins with Alina making a pledge to her childhood love, Tomasz, who is heading to Warsaw to study to be a physician. With the approval of their families, the couple agree to wait until Alina is older and Tomasz has completed his studies. But as time goes by and rumours begin to swirl that Hitler's army plans to cross the border into Poland and anti-semitism grows in the village below, Alina soon realizes that the life she knew no longer exists.
The tears that I cried as I read the climax of this story would probably rival the Niagara. Although Kelly Rimmer is an established author, this was my first experience with her storytelling and now I am hungry to read more. I felt that the author's note was deeply fascinating and the fact that it is inspired by some of Rimmer's own family history makes this book so memorable.
Goodreads review 24/03/19
