I've talked about my love of letter writing before in reviews, as well as growing up with a dear grandmother (and others) who were my pen pals. I love stories that bring back those memories as well as inspire me to continue writing letters (or emails) to friends and family. I was also pretty obsessed with learning everything I could about WWII when I was younger, having had several family members serve in the military during the war. I felt such a great connection to them as I did so.

I loved the letters in the book and the way that they showed a greater depth and created a connection with the characters in the book. When done well, I really enjoy reading/listening to books that are written all through letters or have several letters throughout the story. I love the personalization of characters that creates. Johanna was a strong character whom I enjoyed watching grow and learn, especially as she stepped out of her comfort zone.

I followed an author chat about writing and letters that was really fun. Amy Lynn Green and several other authors whom I have read their books participated. It was fun to read more about the process of writing this book as well as some of the reasons why. It was also fun to ask questions about the book during the chat.

If you have a love of history, letters, well developed characters this is a book for you!

Content: Clean

I received a copy from the publisher, Bethany House, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Things We Didn’t Say is an unusual novel with an unusual heroine. Johanna Berglund, the main character, speaks seven languages (and is trying to learn Japanese) when she is “persuaded” to return to her hometown of Ironside Lake to serve as a translator for the Germans in the new prisoner of war camp.

Johanna finds herself accused of treason, and the novel is the collection of documents she prepares for her lawyer to prove her innocence—letters to, from, and about her, and a collection of newspaper articles, editorials, and letters to the editor. The letters show Johanna’s virtues and faults in her own eyes, and through the eyes of friends, family, and foe.

The best historical fiction uses historical events and characters to highlight issues in the present.
Things We Didn’t Say does a masterful job of examining racism and our often irrational feelings towards those who are different to us—whether they look like us or not. It’s also telling that Green has chosen to set her story in a small town that’s home to Americans of Scandinavian descent—people who sometimes look more Aryan than their German enemies, yet people who also discriminate against Japanese Americans and African Americans.

What often has the most impact isn’t the obvious themes of the story, but the offhand comments—like the US Constitution’s definition of treason, or the kitchen hand who owns a copy of “The Negro Motorist Green Book, with safe hotels, filing stations, and eateries marked.” I’ve read my share of travel guides, but they have all aimed to sort the good from the less-good, not the safe from the unsafe.

The unusual structure gives the novel a more slow-paced feel than a “normal” novel might have. It’s also easier to stop reading than in a novel written in more traditional chapters with the cliffhanger or hook at the end of each chapter. Letters have a different structure, and mean it is a little easier to put the novel down. But it’s also easy to pick up again, and to only read one or two letters at a time. If anything, reading slowly is more representative of the timescale covered in the novel.

The title is also apt, in that a lot of the story is hidden in the things the characters don’t say in writing—another reason to read it slowly. The Things We Didn’t Say is an excellent if unusual novel.

Recommended for historical fiction fans or those interested in a Christian novel written in a non-traditional style.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

What an AMAZING debut novel by Any Lynn Green! Honestly, I thiswas a little skeptical, but this quickly became one of my favorite books of 2020!

I have never read a book quite like this - It is written entirely in letters, telegrams, etc amongst the characters. It takes a couple of chapters to get used to this type of writing, but just keep reading - It is so unique and wonderful!

In this novel, you will get set down into the little town of Ironside Lake, Wisconsin during WWII. You will experience what it was like to live in a small, close-knit town hosting a POW camp. Wow! That was not something I had thought about!

The characters are so fun and I absolutely fell in love with them! Johanna (age 22) is one of my all-time favorite characters of 2020! She is spunky, candid, and mostly unconcerned with the cares of society. Such a refreshing character who is somewhat reminiscent of Anne Shirley.

Overall, this was a lighthearted, easy to read & follow, well-written novel full of surprises and laughs! I definitely can't wait to see what else Amy Lynn Green has in store! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The epistolary manner of writing and historical fiction are not my typical reading style; however, I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the chatter I was hearing from others. I was not disappointed! Ms. Green’s debut novel is absolutely exquisite and brims with promise for future books.

I was immediately captured during the opening pages. The story is well researched making the stories and letters come to life. It is filled with humanity, doubt, faith, and hope that grips you leaving you changed as a reader. I look forward to more books from this masterful storyteller!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Having grown up in NW Iowa, I have heard of the German POW camps there, but never visited. I heard more of the Japanese internment camps because my aunt was born in a camp in California. But looking into the German POW camps, I did not know there were so many, and one that held some of the high officers was right here where I live now. I think it would be an interesting stop on a trip back home to see this museum. My son loves history, so I think he would love it just as much.

This is the story of Johanna Berglund an interpreter at the German POW camp in Ironside Lake, Minnesota. She was to interpret the letters in to the soldiers and the ones soldiers wrote out of the camp. A very interesting story, especially when you bring in her friend Peter Ito, who was a Japanese American who taught intelligence at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis. It was also about the hurt that happened between families when a loved one is killed. Forgiveness, hatred, prejudice, and understanding are just a few of the feelings throughout the book.

The book is written entirely in letters between friends, people of the town, and the local newspaper. It was an interesting way, and one that I likes as a change of pace. I liked the book for a majority, I did not really connect with Johanna, I felt she was a bit harsh and not very personable. I am not sure I really liked her and Peter together either. In all it was an interesting read into the life, happenings, and the way of a German POW camp here in the states. Would recommend to my fellow readers and look forward to future works by Ms. Green.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bethany House/Bethany House Publishers, and Amy Lynn Green for this advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Bethany House Publishers and Amy Lynn Green for the advance readers copy of "Things We Didn't Say" for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Ms, Green's debut novel . It is a WWII historical fiction. The story is told through letters written and translated by Johanna Beglund. The letters were those written to the prisoners' at a pow camp located in rural MN. The letters Joanna translated for the US Army. The story begins with Joanna not looking forward to her position as a translator and continues on as she starts to see these prisoners' as real people with feelings.

Green has written a fine first novel. Judging by the writing, I wouldn’t have thought it her first. I enjoyed the epistolary format. The novel is thoughtful as well as suspenseful and entertaining. Johanna the main character is a strong, independent, young woman in her twenties who reaches important conclusions about people and her relationships. The action takes place in a small Minnesota town during World War II. The people in her township are resentful/afraid when a German POW camp is built near their town. Circumstances beyond her control force Johanna to leave her linguistics studies and temporarily become a translator at the camp. This makes her very unpopular with some of the people in her home town. I look forward to reading more by this author.

"Things We Didn't Say" was a very interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking book. The story is set in the fictional town of Ironside Lake, Minnesota in 1944 and early 1945. The town is going to be home to a German Prisoner of War camp, with the German prisoners worked as farm laborers. With WWII raging and many young men having enlisted, finding even farm workers is difficult. The decision to "host" this POW work camp is very controversial, especially as residents have loved ones who are fighting overseas or have been captured or killed, and because of rumors that the Axis powers, especially Japan, are not adhering to the Geneva Convention regarding treatment of POWs. The story opens with a letter from Johanna Berglund to her attorney regarding her being charged with POW-related crimes and indicating she is supplying all of the documents she can regarding her work at the camp. Johanna Berglund is the daughter of the mayor and she is fluent in multiple language, including German. She was studying languages at the University of Minnesota, with dreams of going to Oxford after graduating, and she preferred to spend her time reading books in their original languages, not socializing with others. Other than brief visits home to see her family, she has no desire to return to Ironside Lake. However, circumstances conspire against her and she ends up as the civilian translator for the camp. She resents being forced to take the job and resents being back in Ironside Lake, but over time she becomes an advocate for the prisoners, and seeks to make sure they are treated properly.

Reading this story makes me wonder how I would have reacted if I had been a resident of a town like Ironside Lake in 1944.. I would like to believe that I would have supported the presence of the German POWs and that I would have advocated for treating them respectfully. However, I don't know if that would have been the case. Assuming I had not enlisted myself, I would have surely had family and friends who were serving overseas, and probably some who had been wounded, killed, or were POWs. Knowing that the German POWs may have been responsible for injuring or killing family or friends would likely have made it hard to see them as something other than "the enemy", especially when one considers how strong the propaganda was from both the Allies and Axis countries.

The author does a good job of portraying that tension, but also how the opportunity to spend time around the German POWs resulted in some of the residents rethinking their views of Germans and realizing that these young men were really not that different from themselves or their brothers or sons. One aspect of the story is a weekly column written by staff or prisoners at the camp and published in the town paper. One of the most poignant columns is by a black man who is a kitchen worker, but also a musician, and who develops a friendship with one of the German prisoners, who is also a musician, bonding over their mutual love of music. As someone who faces discrimination because of his skin color, he is able to offer a perspective on the German POWs, who are hated because of their nationality (and status as enemy combatants), that is unique in this Minnesota town. Johanna Berglund is a wonderful character because she is so complex and fierce, loyal, and fiery, but yet she has a distorted view of herself, insisting that she cannot be a certain type of person or do certain things, although when forced to take on tasks she feels are beyond her, she excels, and unable to realize that the people who really know her and love her (both in a romantic sense and a friendship sense) see that she is much more than she believes.

In addition to the issue of fear and hatred towards the German POWs, the author also addresses prejudice against Japanese-Americans. One of Johanna's dearest friends is Peter Ito, who is Japanese-American and is a civilian instructor at a military training facility for Japanese-Americans, who are being trained as translators and interrogators, to be sent to the Pacific theater to collect intelligence on the Japanese war effort. Peter's family are in a "relocation" camp for much of the story. At the military training facility, there are Japanese-Americans who are much like Peter Ito and his family, but there are also a group of students from Hawaii, and there is tension between these two groups. In addition, there are some non-Asian Americans with an interest in Japanese, and they are considered outsiders, especially because the US military considers them "true" Americans and gives them ranks and titles that are not available or hard to obtain for Asian-American soldiers, especially Japanese-Americans. Even though many of the Japanese-Americans are second-generation Americans and have never been to Japan, there is fear and suspicion that they must sympathize with or even be loyal to Japan because of their heritage. That, of course, was the rationale behind the internment camps, a source of shame for America.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Dear Amy Lynn Green,

I just finished reading Things We Didn't Say and several adjectives are floating through my mind. Spectacular! Fabulous! Marvelous!

Each of these descriptions might sound over the top, yet how else can I describe a story that touched my heart, mind, and soul as yours has?

I have read other epistolary stories in the past but was not very impressed. I don't recall knowing before reading that you had chosen this style. When I first realized it, I panicked slightly! However, I quickly saw there was nothing to worry about as I was so quickly captivated by this lovely story.

In between laughing and tearing up, I was pondering the circumstances of your characters. A town asked to provide work for the enemy who killed many of her sons. And being expected to treat them humanely despite knowing the same courtesy wasn't extended to prisoners of war their country had taken. The second-generation Japanese man asked to help teach the country that sent his family to an internment camp. When he wrote of his experience after the bombing of Pearl Harbor at the hands of fellow Americans, my heart broke!

Jo was wonderful! I so enjoyed her quirky character and the way she came to life through her letters. It was evident that the people of her town had hurt her deeply and I was driven to read on to understand how. And why. Oh, and I simply had to find out why she was on trial for treason!

Despite her "prickly" nature, she truly was kind. Her fiery response to the townspeople when they were so reluctant to show anything other than hatred to the German prisoners revealed her tender heart. She truly turned her world upside down, didn't she!

My heart was touched by Jo's feelings of abandonment by God. What a tremendous friend and inspiration Peter was as he encouraged her in her faith. Or perhaps more accurately, her lack of faith. Her struggles throughout the story were so similar to those of people I know and it made me so glad for her to finally see that even when she wasn't aware of it, God was right there all along!

Her parents, her friends (all two of them!), and the people whose lives intersected hers are so real to me now. It was very clever how you presented the collection of writings from so many sources. The way you made them reflect the personalities of their authors was amazing! I think I could have known who had written each one without their signatures after a while.

Things We Didn't Say is one of the best stories I have read by a debut author, and one of the best stories I have read. Ever. I know it will remain in my mind and my heart for a good while to come.

I am eagerly awaiting another story from you!

Your newest fan,

Phyllis

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was such a powerful novel for me! I loved how the entire novel was told through letters as it gave glimpses into more than just the main characters ideas. The theme of kindness and treating others with dignity was well done! The authors research into this time period and POW camps in the US shows. I will definitely read more by this author!!!!! 5 stars!!!

What a surprising treat this one was! Wonderful story, told in the form of letters - about such an fascinating topic. A young woman, much to her own dismay, is assigned to a POW camp of Germans - because she speaks multiple languages and she's able to both read/translate their mail but also teach them English.

The reaction of the town to the POW camp was interesting too. Played out mainly through the local newspaper but also, again, relayed through letters, there are a lot of opinions and not a lot of compassion when it comes to the held men. This was a well written, well paced read and I loved it!

The style of writing for this title took a little time but was quite interesting view of this period of time. Things we didn't say comes into play with daily life and had great meaning to this story. Joanna truly fell into this as she seemed to be one who kept to herself. From the beginning and into each letter she seemed to grow into herself and give inspiration. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!

What a great book, and written in such an amazing way! The main character, Joanna, is like no other: She’s funny; at a times she’s insightful; yet at other times easily fooled; she’s quite the communicator; and has a heart for people that compels her to help in any way she can. She’s also been accused of treason, and as you follow her story, you’ll realize that Joanna is quite the heroine in her own, unique way. The setting for this story could have been presented in a one-sided, almost depressing way, but I loved the way this author allowed us to see all these characters as individuals with their own personalities and motivations.

I understand that this is Amy Lynn Green’s first novel, and if that’s true, I’m already a fan. Don’t miss this book!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Although at times the plot seemed to move a bit slow, I did find this book to be very interesting. My father-in-law actually remembers German POWs helping on their farm when he was a young boy. Since I myself studied Japanese, Jo’s character was very relatable to me. She has such spunk takes no guff from anyone. I would have loved to be fluent in several languages like she is! I could easily see myself living Jo’s life. Translating would have been my dream job, but , like Cornelia Knutson, I chose the better dream. Good book!

I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A beautiful and engrossing debut novel. I've been anxiously waiting Amy Green's debut novel and I absolutely loved it.
Johanna Berglund is a favorite heroine. She is smart, witty, having heart and depth.
Using the technique of letters, telegrams, notes; known as epistolary storytelling, Amy Green tells a beautiful story of what happened in the German POW camps.
Ms. Green packs so much in this 416 page novel; race relations, faith, lost friendships, and regrets. To think this is her debut novel makes the read even more stunning as well as inspiring.

If you're still adding books to your Christmas wish-list; you need to add this one! I highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this book! I loved this new author's voice in the Christian fiction world!
I didn't exactly like the style that it was written in but I did love what the story was about.
After I figured out who the letters were between that's when I started to enjoy the story.
Green does excellent spot on research for that time period. The subjects of the book was very interesting.
I thought that for a new author, Green rounded out her characters quite well and I really just enjoyed the story.
I want to say that I learned some new things along the way. I didn't know that we had a POW German camps here in the US. Just wow!
I have said many times in other reviews that our God is an awesome God.
I hate how other people don't like others just because they are different. I wish that we could all get along and learn to live in harmony.. We'd be so much better off.
I highly recommend this book. It's a beautiful ad heartwarming story that will leave your heart feeling full.
I will be looking for more from this author. She has done her job well.
My thanks for a copy of this book.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Ok, y'all, I know it took a long time for me to read this book, but that's partly because I was savoring it. This is a very different kind of story, and I love it!! It's composed entirely of letters to and from different people, and articles in a the town's local newspaper. Every letter and article is clearly marked, so it's not at all confusing. I love the character of Johanna, and Peter too, as well as several of the others. It's set during World War 2, but it's not the typical topic(s) from the time period. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you, Netgalley, for the copy of this book. I am now going to go buy it in paperback!

Linguist Johanna Berglund dreams of studying in Oxford one day, though her plans are on hold as WWII rages. When her small Minnesota hometown opens a German POW camp, Johanna seems like the perfect liaison between the prisoners and the staff. Spirited Jo refuses at first, but circumstances force her hand.

As Jo works with the prisoners and censors their letters, she begins to see the men as more than captured Nazis. They have loved ones left at home, pride in their families, and talents and interests in need of outlets. The town of Ironside Lake has mixed feelings about the POW camp, and most are dead set against it. Is there anything Jo can do to humanize the prisoners in the eyes of the town?

This epistolary novel is told through a variety of letters and newspaper articles. Most of the letters are between Johanna and her Japanese friend Peter Ito, who works with the Army giving a crash course on the Japanese language to American soldiers before they ship out. Jo relies on Peter to tell her the truth when her own opinions may get in the way of things.

Jo, Peter, the POWs, and the citizens of Ironside Lake are vividly and skillfully brought to life in a non-traditional but gripping format. I loved how the issues of the day were explored, especially the attitudes toward stateside POW camps and Japanese Americans. Johanna's personality in particular shines bright. I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves history and stories that are just a little bit different.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

What a fantastic book hard to put down. It is told entirely through letters and newspaper articles. This is my first book that I read by this author and will not be my last. The character's in the book are wonderful. Never thought I would even laugh at a book about POW camps but I did. This is well written and was very happy to be able to review it.

Wow. Just…wow. The questions this author raises hit the gut. So many times I found myself contemplating and wondering. ‘That is such a good point’ I found myself saying, pausing to let it all sink in. Like: How much of us is made up of choices, and how much are we the conditioning of society and circumstances? Who would we be—if we had been born somewhere else, with a different nation’s propaganda? [Not a direct quote] During a time of deep hatred, fear, and a war of cruel anti-Semitism, we look into the raw, dark, and gritty face of these questions and more…if we dare. We are reminded how imperfect is the heart of humanity.

Written entirely epistolary, I wasn’t entirely sure how my reading experience would go. This is my first epistolary novel, and I only became familiar with the term as a novel style a few months prior to being introduced to this particular story. But let me just say, my uncertainties were quickly expunged. The author has a way of making personalities jump off the page of their letters without the ability to describe or ‘show’ them in regular story form.

Johanna…goodness, she has stubborn sass, and I liked her immediately. She made me laugh with her ‘compliments’ and her excuses, even if all her actions weren’t necessarily admirable; even if she does seem a bit condescending and full of herself. Because it made her real and relatable. Nobody is perfect, and I think her backbone made her ready for the challenges she was being prepared to face.

The transition between letters/documents/etc was handled smoothly. Questions on the unexplained content (such as names mentioned and events) were soon answered and ‘filled in’ on those missing pieces without creating confusion or frustration. So don’t let the term “epistolary” cause you to shy away from giving this book a try—if that style is as new to you as it was for me. I found it intriguing and interesting, and easy to continue reading letter after letter, curious about the characters behind the pen and where their stories would lead them and how all would be concluded.

Though written in separate letter/document form, there are chapters. I thought the chapters were a bit long, but with all the ‘section breaks’ created naturally by this style, there are plenty of places to break if you only have a short amount of time in one sitting to read. I found myself with only small chunks of time on my hands, and rarely stopped at an official chapter break. At the same time, this was so easy to read and enjoyable, I often read much further than I intended!

Johanna starts out by saying there are two messages in every letter: that which is written on the lines and that which is written *between* those lines. [Not a direct quote] But it is a highlight-worthy quote that sets the stage for “Things We Didn’t Say” (and really what the title is all about, right?), because the author knows how to weave two stories: that which is written on the lines and that which is not said—sometimes, what we wish we had said. As the reader, you get to witness both those messages in the clues revealed seamlessly between the lines.

Coming to the conclusion, I felt all kinds of emotion; I came to cherish these characters and their stories, and felt the ending was satisfying if not bittersweet. I would have liked to see the other side of the war and how their futures unfolded, but then I suppose the book would have been far too lengthy.

I received a complimentary ARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.