What would your correspondence reveal about you? Could someone piece together the essence of your day-to-day life, thoughts, and motives from the things you sent by letter? And what might the things you left out also reveal about you?

Johanna has plans for her life and dreams of traveling overseas. Nowhere in those dreams was the prospect of returning to her Minnesota hometown. But with some external pressure, she finds herself taking the position of translator at a POW camp. Her job of censoring letters is far from glamorous and her outspoken views get her into trouble on more than one occasion. Part of the mystery of the book for the reader is constructing her life and relationships with prisoners, family, and childhood friends from her letters alone.

The book offers a fascinating view of the war from the perspective of German prisoners as well as through journalistic eyes when Johanna tangles with the local editor a time or two. Johanna has spunk and determination and manages to raise morale by helping to advocate for the prisoners at the camp.

Kindness can sometimes be misinterpreted and Johanna finds herself in a situation where her own words may be used against her. The backdrop of war adds to the angst of a young woman trying to figure out where she belongs in the world and what dreams are worth fighting for.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Things We Didn't Say from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

I found this book fascinating as I've never come across a book that delves into prisoner of war camps like this one does. I enjoyed the format, with the book being told in letters which I hadn't experienced since Love, Rosie. Things We Didn't Say is a must read for any and all fans of WW2 romance.

I recently finished Amy Lynn Green’s debut historical fiction novel THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY, and although it’s her debut release it didn’t read like a first novel (and indeed she has written other books before that just haven’t been published) — it reads like she has been writing historical fiction for years. Not only do readers learn in this novel about stateside Midwest-based POW camps during WWII, namely in Minnesota, they see them through the eyes of the staff, the prisoners, and the town residents where the camps are located. It is an assumingly little known subject that many may not know about, with POW camps overseas usually more commonly referenced and written about. On top of that, Green layers the complexity even further by alluding to and discussing the Japanese internment camps here as well due to Peter, one of the main characters of Japanese descent, having parents and a sister held there. A thought-provoking juxtaposition is created, examining Americans’ mixed and highly charged reactions to having enemy German soldiers stationed amongst their midst yet at the same time many of those Americans may similarly have loved ones in opposing POW camps overseas that they would hope and wish would be treated well in turn. Yet at the same time allied battles are being fought against axis powers who believe in eugenics theories and a superior master race, imprisonment injustices and discrimination were occurring here on American soil against many of its own Japanese American citizens due to their lineage connection to an enemy Japanese power. The author has shone a spotlight on a stage in history that raises many ethical, moral, and internal questions and struggles the reader must confront, but also delves into the difficult facets of forgiveness. In a similar vein that HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford heightened awareness and knowledge of the Japanese American internment camps here during WWII, Amy Lynn Green’s THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY will do the same for POW camps here. Not only raising consciousness regarding this period in our history to readers across the nation, but I imagine even bringing attention to events and places in Minnesota and Iowa that its current inhabitants may not be even informed a lot about.

Another unique feature of this novel is the epistolary nature of it. I think that this feature could be polarizing to some readers - some may love it, while others may truly not like it. Sometimes a letter format can be distracting and interrupt or seem to affect the flow of a novel, making it hard for some readers to ‘get into’ a book. I too found it hard at first with this novel; but eventually it started to seem more natural and less noticeable. However, regardless of readers opinions’ for or against its epistolary format, I would hope all could acknowledge on an extra degree of respect or admiration for this debut author tackling the extra challenges and difficulty that particular format can sometimes bring. I admire Amy Lynn Green for incorporating her love of letters into this book and recognize her talent for doing so.

Indeed I am curious as to what the subject of her next novel may be and am interested in her background in publishing and the effect on this and future books. Amy Lynn Green is a debut author to watch out for, and I (among I’m sure many many others) can’t wait to see what she does next!

Today’s book review is a bit overdue! I got behind during the month of December, so count on several new reviews coming your way over the next few weeks. Even though I didn’t get around to posting about it, The Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green was one of the best Christian fiction books I read in 2020.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.


SUMMARY
Johanna Berglund is a headstrong young woman with a lot of ideas and plans for her life. And none of them involve returning to her hometown of Ironside Lake, Minnesota. But circumstances are against her, and she is forced to return home.

Her training as a linguist makes her the perfect translator at a German POW camp outside of her hometown. It also sets her up to receive a lot of disapproval from the townspeople.

The POWs turn out to be different than Johanna expected. As she censors their letters, she sees them in a different light. She becomes an advocate for them, which makes her a target for criticism and even hatred in the town.

While Johanna thinks she’s wise, she’s very naive about the POWs, and at least one person knows it. When the worst happens, and Johanna is accused of treason, she’ll have to use her own letters to try to prove her innocence.

THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY REVIEW
First, I want you to know that I did not give away a major plotline of Things We Didn’t Say by telling you that Johanna is accused of treason. The book opens with a letter to her attorney, stating her case, and telling why the reader is about to dive into a bunch of seemingly random letters.

It’s really a genius beginning. From there, readers have the opportunity to read the letters, and judge for ourselves if Johanna is guilty.

Johanna is young, but she thinks she’s so smart and has all the answers. I actually found her attitude to be really off-putting. She was so smug and condescending.

But I came to realize that’s really the point of the book. To see how her experiences changed her.

The book is composed completely of letters. Not everyone can pull off such a book, and it doesn’t work for every situation. But I thought it was really well-done in Things We Didn’t Say.

Reading the letters gives so many different viewpoints of the same events. And while the reader can see Johanna’s foolishness, I think we can also see why she made her decisions.

Of course, the best part is Johanna’s letters to her friend, Peter Ito, a Japanese-American language instructor for the military. Johanna complains and Peter encourages all the way up until…well, I won’t tell you. You’ll have to read to see.

I guess I’ve always known that there must’ve been German POW camps in the United States during WWII. But I never really gave them much thought.

As I read Things We Didn’t Say I realized I probably would’ve felt the same way about those camps as the townspeople did. I can imagine those mothers, whose sons were being abused in Japan and Germany.

How dare Johanna advocate for these men to attend church, while their sons weren’t even being fed?

But reading the POW letters also makes you see them as real people, too. Many of them didn’t want to even fight the war. They only wanted to go home.

I think we’re also really far removed from how fearful people were during that time. Most Americans had a close relative fighting, and many of them didn’t come home.

Reading these letters really shows what many people felt during those long war years. It brought it home in a new way for me.

Things We Didn’t Say had a lot of eye-opening moments for me. It’s a book that will really make you dig down and think. What would I have done differently? How might I have felt if I’d been there?

This is Amy Lynn Green’s first book. It’s one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
PS.--If you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you're going to like this book!

This novel begins by dropping the reader in the middle of the heroine's troubles: she is being charged with treason. The rest of the novel unfolds with letters, articles, and other documents revealing how Johanna ended up in this predicament. I think the author was very clever in how she used the epistolary style to reveal the story, layer by layer. Honestly, Johanna was not the most likable character--although her self-deprecating humor was funny at times--she could also be a bit harsh and sarcastic to others. So reading her thoughts allowed me to have some sympathy for her. I really enjoyed the mix of various supporting characters who challenged her, supported her, or galvanized her into action. It was interesting to learn about the German POW camps and about what Japanese-Americans experienced during this time. I appreciated the realistic faith element and Johanna's spiritual journey. Overall, this was an intriguing and eye-opening novel, even if the epistolary style is not my preference. I believe this is the author's debut novel so I'd be interested in reading what she writes next!
* I received this book free of charge from NetGalley.

The title of this book is so fitting. Told completely through correspondence sent and unsent, as well as newspaper articles and editorials, the story unfolds just as much from what is written as what is left unsaid between the lines.

Joanna Berglund reluctantly returns to her hometown leaving behind her language studies at the University of Minnesota to fulfill the requirements of her scholarship with patriotic service working as a translator for a German POW camp in her hometown. Joanna has a gift for language, and a passion to take her education as far as she can, she can be stubborn and blunt, which often puts her at odds with the townspeople of which her father is mayor. She writes many letters over the course of the book, but the ones that form the framework of the story are the ones between her and her dear friend Peter Ito, a second generation Japanese American, who is serving his country as a language teacher for military intelligence.

Peter is easily my favorite character in this book, he takes things as they come, he loves his country, but struggles with how America has treated him and his family. He is the perfect temper to Joanna's flame, I loved how they both encourage each other and bring out the best in each other. I admired his hope, honesty, and strong faith in God.

Compelling and well executed, I was skeptical when I first learned that the story would be told completely through letters, but it works well in this story, and I liked that it left parts to be filled in by my imagination. I loved how Joanna is most honest in her letters to Peter, and that this book addresses the tough questions that Joanna struggles with, like prejudice, justice, and loving our enemies. In short I liked that she had questions, and challenges the pat answers. Everything comes together with a stunning ending that had me glued to the page.

Overall, a worthy read that stuck with me long after I'd turned the last page, with a hero and heroine that I could cheer for throughout. I will definitely be reading more books from this author in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It is 1944, and Johanna Berglund has been accused of treason. She submits in her defense a collection of letters that will prove her innocence. The letters begin with Johanna as a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota. Fluent in German and several other languages, she is recommended to work as a translator at an Army POW camp near her home. She flatly refuses because she has other plans and dreams of going to Oxford. Pressure from the government and her parents eventually forces her to go. She begins her work as a translator and starts to enjoy it, despite criticism from some of the local populace about “aiding the enemy.” She is given more responsibility and asked to teach an English class, and she starts to feel compassion for the prisoners. When a nefarious plot causes untrue accusations against Johanna, she learns to truly lean on God.

This is an epistolary novel, comprised completely of letters, articles, and other written communication. We watch Johanna’s character develop from a rather vain and secluded student to to a woman of faith, although it takes some hard times to get her there. We meet her friends, family, and community, and we watch her grow as a person. And we learn that there were, in fact, German POW camps in the United States during World War II. I was captivated by this book, which was so well written that the personalities of the characters shone, and their individual nuances were conveyed expertly through their letters. I don’t think many writers can share such an amazing story and well developed characters in epistolary style, so I was surprised that this is Amy Lynn Green’s debut novel. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House via Netgalley and Historical Novels Review Magazine. My opinions are my own.

You wouldn't think Things We Didn't Say was a debut novel, as Amy Lynn Green has created a wonderful story told through letter correspondence (akin to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). I also thought this was a refreshing WWII point of view, as our protagonist, Johanna is asked by the US Army to work as a translator American German POW camp. As Johanna interacts with the men at the camp, she begins to empathise with them. With the added treason aspect, this book kept me guessing until the end. I'd recommend this novel to people looking for historical fiction with a Christian undertone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

While I've been a longtime fan of World War II fiction, it can be difficult to find a book that feels new and fresh. However, this exemplary story told through documents, notes, letters, and other epistles immediately stood out from others in its genre.
Headstrong and clever Johanna has been accused of treason, with many viewing her correspondence with a Japanese American man, Peter, as a sure sign of her suspected guilt. If anything, Johanna is filled with the naivety of youth, eager to see the good and look past what she's been told so that she can find the truth for herself. Her witty recollections and laugh out loud banter and corrections to her own letters show that she's a woman who delights in life, even when times are hard and she is battling uncertainty.
As can be expected from the premise, the tension mounts, and the reader fears for the life of more than one character. But just as hurtful are the accusations thrown around by citizens of Johanna's town, as seen by the included letters to the editor of the local paper. Both Johanna and Peter, at least from their letters, appear to be attempting to keep their hopes up and their heads above water as the danger escalates, but the under riding fear is palpable nonetheless.
I alternated from soaking in the dialogue that felt natural to the time and brought to mind the sophisticated back and forth conversations from my favorite classic movies to feeling my hackles rise at the many instances of injustice. Johanna's work as a translator at a POW camp was fascinating and shined a light on a part of our history many seem to have forgotten about. Her character grows and matures during the book, but she never loses her spark or her ability to remain true to her own personal convictions. Four stars for this engaging and novel tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary advance copy. This did not impact my rating.

Intriguing from the first lines, revelatory of life beyond a single soul, and gripping in it's scope of love and war and story. This is a book to be savored.

What a wonderful novel written by Amy Lynn Green! This novel is written in the form of letters, an epistolary novel, and is a wonderful reminder to never leave important things unsaid. Set during WWII, Johanna returns home to hostilities like she never imagined in her small hometown. While trying to bridge the gap between citizens and prisoners, the lines between patriotism and treason become blurred for Johanna. It doesn't help her case that one of her dearest friends is a Japanese American. Will Johanna be found guilty of treason, or will she be vindicated?

It is hard to believe this is Ms. Green's first novel and I will definitely be on the lookout for future novels from her!

This was a great story. Recently I have been planning a trip cross country to Colorado, and one of the places I will be driving past off on old hwy 385/50 is the Amache Japanese-American camp. So this story helped bring that place to life. If anything, it makes me determined to convince hubby to stop and do a drive thru of the museum.

I enjoyed the way the author brought emotion and feelings into the words, melded them in a way that it made me a part of her life during that time period. I will be rereading this book after visiting Amache and see the comparisons.

Well written and look forward to reading more.

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love.
This is the first book I've ever read by Amy Lynn Green and I daresay it won't be my last. Writing style is a big selling point for me and she nailed it and had me excited to continue from chapter 1. Historical Fiction used to be my jam. It was the only genre I read for close to 3 years. I veered off last year and have read solely fantasy, but for some reason, grabbed this one. It didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book is written in letter/documentation format which I always enjoy. It makes for a fast read. I also enjoyed reading about a part of WWII history that I knew nothing about. I didn’t know there were POW camps in the US. I feel like I’m constantly questioning my education. Thank goodness for authors who explore the non-traditional war stories.

I loved Johanna. She is a strong female character that you can’t help but fall in love with and want to stand up for her as well.

There were several very good, touching, lines within the story that resonated with me very personally. For that, I thank the author. I love when a book touches us in ways we didn’t even know we needed.

I did start reading this and got through 1/4 of the book. It just couldn't keep my interest. The characters just didn't become alive and vibrant

Small Town America during WWII becomes a hot bed of unease, intrigue and accusations when a POW camp is placed there and one of their own- a fiery, independent prodigal- returns to work at the camp as a translator. A debut epistolary novel captivated and I will feel the effects for some time to come.

Johanna Berglund is a brilliant linguistic student at the University of Minnesota with dreams of going to Oxford for further language studies. She is impulsive, outspoken, and can be abrasive with her abrupt social skills, but no one can doubt her abilities. This is why her professor is approached by the army and he easily recommends Johanna as does her great Japanese American friend, Peter Ito from over at the Ft. Snelling Language School. Johanna is being recruited to act as translator at the new POW camp of German prisoners being put up outside her home town for the purpose of the POWs put to work in the fields to replace the young men who went to war leaving farmers in a bad place for food production. The commander hopes that the fervor against the camp will die down if a home town girl is brought in to act as sensor for the POW mail, liaison with the POW rep, and as translator who can also keep an eye on what the prisoners are saying. Johanna does agree easily and has her private reasons for never wanting to go back home again. Too bad her parents, her friends, and even her anonymous scholarship sponsor are all set on her doing this. In the end, things go very wrong and lives are at stake.

Things We Didn't Say opens with a startling reason for why the heroine is gathering and reading through all her correspondence. Though, it's at the beginning, I'm not going to reveal what is going on so if others choose to read the book they get the full effect like I did. The reader gleans the story from these various pieces of correspondence- letters, memos, newspaper articles, reports, and notes.

There is a reason this epistolary form is not the most popular writing style for stories. It is tough for all the usual story elements to shine through to the reader without distraction, detachment, or under-development being issues. A few writers, however, shine in this format and this one just dazzles. Johanna is the main character, but her closest friends, Peter and Olive, her parents, and others back home, and the people at the camp are brought to vivid life as is the historical background and the setting. The big conflict gives an urgency to the story from the opening page and the reader knows to what all that is being written is leading to, but in the meantime, the story leading up to this takes over and the reader is plunged into Johanna's world.

I've read several WWII homefront stories and even a few set in and around internment camps, but this was my first that dealt with a POW camp that was there to work the local farms. I was fascinated by that part alone, but then this was paired with the linguistics side of the war effort and how Japanese Americans from the American mainland and those from the Hawaiian Islands studied and trained to be used in the Pacific Theater of the war. The author didn't pull punches on how it was for those who looked and sounded like the enemy, but were as loyally American as anyone else.

Johanna might be all sorts of prickly, but she had the generous gift to see past that stuff and embrace Peter Ito as dearest friend just as she saw those German prisoners as people and not monsters. This advocacy gift gets her into trouble really quickly when she begins working at the camp. So that editorials in the newspapers and whispers in town follow her.

At the beginning, I felt there was something of a mystery about the way Johanna was acting toward the Lutheran preacher and his daughter and I was curious what was behind it. It seems that the past with this family was at the crux of why she wanted nothing to do with her home.

Johanna was spunky and impulsive and lord did she get up a head of steam, but she's likeable and even when I wanted to snag her before she could go off half-cocked, I thought she was a game gal. I also felt her pain and what was holding her back. I loved seeing her private journey to peace and understanding herself happen along the way.

And, yes, this is an inspirational fiction so forgiveness, understanding, compassion, and relying on God as comfort and strength is woven into Johanna story. Peter was such a well of wisdom for her and the kind of friend who said the hard things in a gracious way. Johanna might have been far from God, but she could respect the advice and truths Peter shared particularly since he of all people couldn't be doubted when he talked of forgiveness and being understanding of others.

As the reader, I could see the train wreck coming for Johanna when she was blithely in ignorance and ignored warnings from others because she thought she knew best. And, to be fair to her, she was often the only one championing certain people so it was easy to see why she went on instinct and got a few pivotal people very wrong in their motives and actions. I had no idea how she was going to get out of her tight spot, but loved how it happened- what got her into the mess was also what got her out of it.

All in all, a brilliant, sparkling story full of all the good things including a subtle romance, a journey of the heart, and an intrigue during the WWII years. Those who enjoy historical fiction, light inspirational fiction, light historical romance, and suspense should give this one a try.

It’s not very often we meet a character that make you grind your teeth. It is rather difficult to say whether or not you will even like this character but the story is compelling as you look through her eyes. Perhaps that is the author’s intent. If so, job very well done Amy Lynn Green.
Johanna is difficult to describe. Rather snobbish, well educated, naïve and lacking society niceties. Abrupt most of the time. Sad part is Johanna is fully aware of her shortcomings. She doesn’t make a good impression lacking many social skills. In fact you just might be tempted to echo the feeling that she is a cold fish.
Johanna truly desired breaking ties with her hometown when leaving to attend college. Her ultimate goal is Oxford but World War II interrupted those plans. Johanna is less than pleased by this interruption and reminds us often. Johanna fluent in German is an excellent candidate to fill the position of translator. She finds herself back home to work with the German P.O.W.’s to translate and censor any and all of their communication. Johanna learns much about the prisoners in her camp. Part of her job is to alert the commanding officer of anything that might be construed as a breach of security.
Unfortunately Johanna comes off as rather whiny in her own personal writings. Which does not bode well for her character. She seems unable to recognize and accept a higher authority to her own in reference to her relationship with the P.O.W.’s, townsfolks, guards and officers. There are times when this otherwise intelligent young woman comes across as petulant.
Johanna becomes enmeshed in her newfound role as champion for these P.O.W.’s. It is her own stubbornness that actually sabotages her intentions which are to maintain a sense of humanity in the camp.
When reading THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY by Amy Lynn Green we go through a myriad of emotions ranging from sadness, anger, frustration all depending on your own vision of what is being revealed in all the correspondence. THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY is told through Johanna and her letter writing and censoring which is truly ingenious. We learn about what makes Johanna tick through the letters she writes to her own friends and family. We learn about her naivety through the actions during her censoring. I have to admit that THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY is one of the most compelling works I have ever read. It is at times difficult to read since much is revealed about a time we would certainly like to forget. But that is why it is important. We must never forget. So revisiting this time through Johanna’s eyes is absolutely riveting. I found myself at times exasperated with Johanna. Other times heart wrenchingly sad for her. Bravo to Amy Lynn Green in creating this character and in telling her story in THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY. Definitely a must read.

This story is told entirely through communication: letters, notes, and documents. The author did an excellent job in bringing forth the story in this style. Johanna was such a strong character and I enjoyed reading about her. I also learned about the POW camps in the Midwest which I was never aware of.
Many thanks to Bethany House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

At first I didn't think I would like the letter writing style of story telling this book uses but after I got used to it I thought it was cleverly used especially when trying to conceal the twists in the plot. I could really identify with a lot of the what the main character represented but she wasn't super likable and I could also identify why she had conflicts with some of the people in the town. This book highlighted a lot of the issues with the differences in Japanese internment camps and POW camps and some of the spy hysteria of the time. It was an interesting concept and the story was well told!

When I was young one of my favorite books was one in which two best friends corresponded via letters. No other writing, the full story completely told in these letters back and forth. It's not a style that I see often, and so when I heard about this debut novel from Amy Lynn Green written as such, I could not wait to check it out. I must admit however, it didn't immediately live up to my expectations. The letters making up this book were written primarily between Johanna and various others. As such, there were many characters to keep track of and at the beginning, I did find it a bit hard to keep everything straight. If I were to be entirely honest, I almost stopped reading several times throughout. Still, we learn very early on that some of these correspondences are evidence in a trial for treason and so I must admit that that knowledge kept me reading to find out exactly how that came about. I was so glad that I'd not given up, as I found that the further into the story I went, the more I enjoyed it.

I read a lot of books taking place during and around the time of WWII, but this one was completely unique from any others I'd read... and not just because of the style. In this story, we meet Johanna as she has taken an assignment as a translator at a camp for German POWs here in the US. This is not a topic that I have ever heard much about, and found it truly fascinating to learn more about. It made for a truly intriguing story. I can't say much without giving too much away, but it certainly offered a unique perspective on the war on the Homefront. I also felt like there were themes within this story that are still quite timely for today. Overall, this was a great read and one that fans of WWII fiction are certainly going to want to check out!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.