The Things We Cannot Say in Aussie Readers

Mar 22, 2019 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, 2019-release, reviewing-by-request, historical-fiction, war-military, arc, own-read

Alice was devastated when her grandmother, her beloved Babcia was hospitalized after a stroke. She and her mother were both aware Babcia was in her nineties and wouldn’t have much longer to live, and since Alice’s Pa had died, Babcia had become much more frail. When Babcia indicated to Alice that she wanted her to go to Poland to unearth the secrets from her past, Alice at first knew she couldn’t possibly make the journey. Her husband Wade was extremely busy with work, their seven-year-old son E Alice was devastated when her grandmother, her beloved Babcia was hospitalized after a stroke. She and her mother were both aware Babcia was in her nineties and wouldn’t have much longer to live, and since Alice’s Pa had died, Babcia had become much more frail. When Babcia indicated to Alice that she wanted her to go to Poland to unearth the secrets from her past, Alice at first knew she couldn’t possibly make the journey. Her husband Wade was extremely busy with work, their seven-year-old son Eddie was severely autistic and needed her constantly. And ten-year-old Callie – how could Alice leave them all?

Alina and Tomasz, living with their families in the small town of Trzebinia in Poland, each knew they would be together forever. Before Tomasz left for college in Warsaw, he proposed to Alina and their families were delighted. But then the Nazis descended on the village and immediately lives changed and horror, cruelty and death arrived. Alina had no idea if Tomasz was alright; whether the war had even hit Warsaw – her heartache and worry was constant.

Alice’s arrival in Trzebinia showed a very different town to 1942. Her search of that past was aided by a guide who specialized in family history, and Zofia was a friendly and helpful young woman. But would they find any answers? Everywhere they looked they were met with dead ends. Alice was desperate as the time frame for her Babcia was shrinking…

As Aussie author Kelly Rimmer brings the heartbreaking past to life in The Things We Cannot Say, I was completely involved. The beautiful Polish countryside before the occupation; the hills and woods surrounding Trzebinia; Alina’s family of mother, father, twin brothers, sister and herself; Tomasz’s family – then 2019 and Alice and her family and the connections to a past they all knew nothing about. The Author’s Notes at the end of the novel were fascinating, as Rimmer explains where the idea for The Things We Cannot Say arose. This excellent historical fiction novel is a spectacular page turner which I devoured. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
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Mar 10, 2019 Helen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am not sure where to start, I can say that I absolutely loved this story, I finished it about four hours ago and I am still teary thinking about it and the people that I got to know Alina, Tomasz and Alice and what they went through, MS Rimmer has knocked my socks off with this story, so many emotions and feelings running through the story, I do highly recommend this book, truly it is powerful and beautiful and should not be missed.

Alina and Tomasz grew up together in a small town in Poland, i I am not sure where to start, I can say that I absolutely loved this story, I finished it about four hours ago and I am still teary thinking about it and the people that I got to know Alina, Tomasz and Alice and what they went through, MS Rimmer has knocked my socks off with this story, so many emotions and feelings running through the story, I do highly recommend this book, truly it is powerful and beautiful and should not be missed.

Alina and Tomasz grew up together in a small town in Poland, it is 1939 they both knew from an early age that they were meant to be together and Tomasz was going to be a Doctor like his father, he has a younger sister and no mother. Alina lives on a farm with her parents and twin brothers, her older sister lives in town with her husband. Just before Tomasz leaves for Warsaw and college he proposes to Alina and makes a promise to her, but then everything changes as the Nazis invade Poland and their lives will never be the same.

It is now 2019 and Alice and her husband Wade, daughter Callie and their son Eddie who has autism spectrum disorder are coping well living in Florida, that is until her beloved grandmother suffers a stroke, unable to talk she uses Eddie’s I-Pad to beg Alice to find the box of treasures that she has had for many years and take a trip to Poland for her to find what has happened to some of her loved ones.

This is such a moving, powerful and amazing story, MS Rimmer took me back to Nazi occupied Poland and what they went through, she showed me the courage and strength that Alina and Tomasz and many others had, so as they could do what they did, the struggle and the pain but also the love that they had, that lasted a lifetime.

Then there is Alice and her struggles with her family, the love that she has for them and what she was prepared to go through for her Babcia, that trip to Poland was a real eye opener for Alice and the tears I shed just kept coming, the secrets that she uncovered, the truths that were learnt and the depth of love and what the people went through during WW2.

I hope I have done this book the justice it deserves, this is a story that is going to stay with me for a long time to come, it was an emotional journey, very, but it also showed what love strength and courage people have to do what must be done, thank you MS Rimmer for an amazing story, a story that I highly recommend, one that should not be missed.
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Jun 16, 2020 Kathryn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 5-stars, 2020-reading-list, australian-authors, aty-2020

I think this might be Kelly's best so far! It kept me up beyond midnight last night so I could finish it!

Both Alice and Alina's stories were sad, but in different ways. It was very cleverly done. I did see the twist coming before the characters realised what was happening, but not too long before.

I'm almost up-to-date with Kelly's books (still a couple of older ones to go, I think) so I'll be interested to see what she comes up with next! ...more

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Dec 28, 2018 Janine rated it it was amazing

The Things we cannot say is a brilliant historical fiction novel which depicts the lives of two women in two different time zones.

Its 1939 and Alina grows up in a loving Polish family and is in love with Tomasz, her best friend since she was a girl. Present day Alice is married with two children – Eddie who has autism and Callie who is a gifted 10 y.o. She is concerned that her grandmother is deteriorating rapidly and implores her to go to Poland to find Tomasz.

In alternating chapters Kelly tell ...more

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Sep 13, 2021 Karen rated it really liked it

A beautiful story of love, war and sacrifice. There are two stories told in parallel, one in the present day and the other during WW2. Alina is a young girl in Poland in 1941 living with her family in a small village near what becomes Aushwitz, and has recently become engaged to Tomasz. Alice is a Mum in the present day who desperately wants to fulfil her dying grandmother’s last wish to go to Poland and find Tomasz.

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