The Things We Cannot Say in Aussie Readers

Sep 12, 2021 Kate Forsyth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian-author, historical

In her new novel, Kelly Rimmer weaves together two first-person points-of-view. One is set now, and the other in Poland during the terrible years of the Nazi occupation. I love dual timeline novels, but usually I prefer the story set in the past. This book is so perfectly balanced and the contemporary voice so strong and real, that I found myself loving both.

In the story set now, Alice has devoted her life to caring for her son, Eddie, who has autism spectrum disorder. She has put aside her own In her new novel, Kelly Rimmer weaves together two first-person points-of-view. One is set now, and the other in Poland during the terrible years of the Nazi occupation. I love dual timeline novels, but usually I prefer the story set in the past. This book is so perfectly balanced and the contemporary voice so strong and real, that I found myself loving both.

In the story set now, Alice has devoted her life to caring for her son, Eddie, who has autism spectrum disorder. She has put aside her own plans and, indeed, her own needs, to make sure that he is safe and managing the best he can in a world that overwhelms him. But Alice’s beloved grandmother is dying, and she has made one last request of Alice. Go to Poland, she says. Or, at least, that is what Alice thinks she says. Her grandmother has lost the ability to speak, due to a stroke, and Alice must try to understand what her Babcia wants, just as she is constantly struggling to understand her son.

Babcia has a box of memories: an old photograph, a baby’s shoe, and a letter. These are the only clues Alice has to find out what happened to her grandmother so long ago in Poland.

The story moves back then to 1942, where Alina is a young woman in love. But the German invasion turns her life upside-down. Tomasz, her betrothed, is trapped in Warsaw and Alina and her family are struggling just to survive. Slowly the two stories unspool, the dramatic tension increasing until I could not tear myself away from the pages. Alina’s fear and her bravery, her grief and her resolve, made her a very sympathetic heroine and I was so hoping all would work out for her and Tomasz.

It was Alice’s story that surprised me the most, however. Her quest to help her grandmother, her love for her family, and the way she grew over the course of the narrative was so moving, I ended the book with a great big lump in my throat. Cleverly constructed and beautifully written, this is a book that deserves to win a great many accolades and a wide audience. ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 Kathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Weaving back and forth in time, The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer is a heartrending novel about the Nazi occupation in Poland.

In the present, Alice Michaels is heartbroken her beloved grandmother, Hanna, has suffered a stroke. Alice is already stretched to the limit caring for her and her husband Wade's special needs seven year old son Eddie, and their highly intelligent ten year old daughter Pascale "Callie". When Hanna indicates she wants her to find her husband, Tomasz, Alice and her m Weaving back and forth in time, The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer is a heartrending novel about the Nazi occupation in Poland.

In the present, Alice Michaels is heartbroken her beloved grandmother, Hanna, has suffered a stroke. Alice is already stretched to the limit caring for her and her husband Wade's special needs seven year old son Eddie, and their highly intelligent ten year old daughter Pascale "Callie". When Hanna indicates she wants her to find her husband, Tomasz, Alice and her mother, Julita, are confused because he has passed away. Due to Hanna's tearful insistence and her anger at Wade, Alice makes an impulsive decision to go to Poland to try to figure out what her grandmother wants her to find. Despite her concern that Wade is not at all prepared for caring for Eddie, she sets off on an uncertain journey in hopes of finding the answer that will bring her ninety-five year old grandmother peace.

When she and Wade married, Alice never intended to be a stay at home mother. But after doctors confirmed that Eddie is on the autism spectrum, she dedicated herself to giving their son the best possible life. He is non-verbal and thrives on routine. Wade works long hours so most of the household and childcare duties fall to Alice who is growing resentful of his lack of involvement. Their marriage is a minefield of bitterness and anger as they avoid discussing their issues.

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, Alina Dziak and her family labor in harsh conditions on their family farm. They are forced to hand over the food they grow in exchange for rations that barely keep them alive. Alina is also very worried about her fiancé, Tomasz, who is away at college in Warsaw when Germany invades Poland. Not knowing whether he is dead or alive, Alina lives in hope he will return to her. Adding to her and her family's worries, the Nazis have built a labor camp where Poland's Jews are forced to live and work under untenable circumstance. They are also worried about who they ca trust since alliances among their friends and neighbors are harshly divided.

Despite her worries about Wade caring for their children, Alice tries to focus on her mission to figure out what her grandmother wants her to find. Aided by a Polish tour guide and a list of names and places from Hanna, they first journey to the small town where Hanna lived during the war. Alice is confused by the conflicting information she finds and she is frustrated by a local woman's refusal to help her. With Hanna's condition worsening, will Alice find what she needs to comfort her grandmother?

The Things We Cannot Say is a very poignant and highly emotional novel that offers a heartbreaking glimpse of life in Poland during the Nazi occupation. Equally enlightening is the story arc with Alice's domestic life and her inability to voice her frustrations. Both Aline and Alice discover their inner strength as they are forced to handle difficult situations. Kelly Rimmer's outstanding research brings the horrors of Nazi occupied Poland vividly to life. Despite the difficult subject matter, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this absolutely riveting novel. ...more

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Apr 28, 2024 Rhoda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Told as a dual timeline, this story has two heroines. At the onset of WWII Alina lives a simple life in the Polish countryside. She has grown up with the love of her life Tomasz and until the occupation of Poland, had her life mapped out. In the current day, Alice has the world on her shoulders. Her seven year old son Eddie is on the autism spectrum and is nonverbal, her husband is not the biggest support and to top it all off, her beloved Babcia is dying.

When Alice’s grandmother tasks her with ...more

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May 26, 2019 Nicola Marsh added it

Shelves: aussie-authors, women-s-fiction, commercial-fiction, read-in-2019

Another page-turner!

I loved the WW2 story of Alina and her struggles in Poland, and enjoyed Alice's current day struggles with her autistic son and gifted daughter.

The dual timelines are interwoven beautifully. ...more

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