The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel - Softcover

Rimmer, Kelly

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1525823566 ISBN 13: 9781525823565

Publisher: Graydon House, 2019

“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.

About the Author:

Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA TODAY bestselling author of five novels, including Me Without You and The Secret Daughter. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Review:

"An intense story of survival, hardship, and heartbreak, The Things We Cannot Say is sure to evoke emotion in even the most cynical reader."-New York Journal of Books

"Rimmer (Before I Let You Go) gives each story line the space to develop organically, resulting in concluding chapters that tie the two women's stories together in an extremely moving fashion. Fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale (2015) and Pam Jenoff's The Orphan's Tale (2017) will enjoy this absorbing, emotional tale of love, heartbreak, and resilience."-Booklist

"Kelly Rimmer has raised the already high bar with this unforgettable novel. It is that rare author that takes the reader so deeply into a world that you smell the smells, feel the hunger, see the devastation...and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love. Fans of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah now have a new go-to author." -Bestselling author Sally Hepworth

"In The Things We Cannot Say, Kelly Rimmer deftly weaves together the narratives of Alina, a young woman struggling to survive the Second World War in Poland and Alice, a mother and wife juggling the intergenerational complexities of modern family. Their stories converge when Alice undertakes a journey to uncover the secrets of her dying grandmother's past. Fans of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls will adore The Things We Cannot Say, a poetic and unforgettable tale of the past that is always with us, the truth that sets us free and the long journey home." - Pam Jenoff, NYT Bestselling Author of The Orphan's Tale

"Kelly Rimmer has raised the already high bar with this unforgettable novel, The Things We Cannot Say. It is that rare author that takes the reader so deeply into a world that you smell the smells, feel the hunger, see the devastation. Alina and Tomasz's story is one of bravery, resilience, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love. If this book isn't a giant bestseller, I will eat my hat. Fans of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah now have a new go-to author." –Sally Hepworth, NYT Bestselling Author of The Secrets of Midwives

"[The Things We Cannot Say] is such an emotional and powerful read that I found it almost impossible to put down. I was riveted, and will be recommending this book to everyone I know." –Sally Hepworth bestselling author of THE SHAPE OF US

"Kelly Rimmer skillfully takes us deep inside a world where love must make choices that logic cannot. Ripped from the headlines and from the heart, Before I Let You Go is an unforgettable novel that will amaze and startle you with its impact and insight." -Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water's End

"Get ready for fireworks in your book club when you read Before I Let You Go! One of the best books for discussion that I've read in years." -Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Marriage

"Kelly Rimmer's shimmering and poignant new novel, Before I Let You Go broadens our current national conversation about seeking to combat the deadly yet curable disease of addiction while being ultimately a story of relationships."--Library Journal, Editor's Pick

"Rimmer's timely novel captures the unbreakable bond of two sisters and humanizes the difficult intersection of the opioid epidemic and the justice system."-Publishers Weekly

• Publisher: Graydon House
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1525823566
• ISBN 13: 9781525823565
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432