The Things We Cannot Say in Around the World in 80 Books

Jul 01, 2025 Stephanie rated it really liked it

I always like to be smarter than I was yesterday! I have read enough WWII books based in different countries impacted by the Nazis. With Polish heritage, I was unaware of the Intelligenzaktion, the Lebensborn program, and the Germanization of the Roman Catholic Poles (just to name a few). This story provided history, a tragic love story, a dying wish, and a life created from shear survive Al that could never be reversed once you pass a certain point of a web of lies. Loved the two story timeline ...more

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Apr 15, 2021 Kay Green rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bookclub, ww2

So much to say about this book. First of all , since all of my grandparents came from Poland (in the early 1900s, not during or after the war), I am really drawn to books which have Polish people as the main characters and are set in Poland. I have only found a few: Lilac Girls and the Warsaw Protocol. This book was set in Poland during WW2 and in Florida in the present time where the descendants are living. I do get Nazi fatigue - having read so many books set during the time of WW2, but as alw ...more

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Aug 14, 2021 Amy 💖 rated it liked it

This book deserves more stars, but it just didn’t always hold my interest. All the characters were likable, it was realistic, and a new take on a WWII story. It was well written. It has all the makings of a solid 4 stars, it’s just that I wanted the book to end.

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Jul 12, 2021 Jen Pratt rated it really liked it

I was very impressed with the writing and dual story lines in The Things We Cannot Say. One story takes place on the present day with Alice who has a non-verbal autistic son, a brilliant daughter and husband. She is a little overwhelmed with life and with the fact that her 95 year old grandma is in the hospital from a stroke. Because of it she cannot speak, but can use her grandson’s iPad to communicate a little.
The second story is the grandmother when she was young, living is Nazi occupied Pola ...more

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