Set in Minnesota in 1944-45 and told entirely through letters, documents, and telegrams, Amy Lynn Green’s debut novel is a fascinating look at a slice of history that I knew little about. When a German POW camp is set up near her hometown, Johanna Berglund is recruited from her university studies in linguistics to work as a translator there, although that doesn’t fit in with her life plans. She is a determined, capable, and outspoken young woman who makes the best of it and tries to help the prisoners. Her friend, Peter Ito, is a military language instructor who encourages and supports her. Their letters are amusing and add a touch of fun and amusement to the story. I loved Johanna’s wit and dry sense of humor. The author is a master at creating colorful, realistic characters whose personalities are displayed through the letters of the story.

Although it took me a few pages to get accustomed to the epistolary style of the book, I soon got used to it and enjoyed the novelty of it. It’s a beautifully done and very memorable book. I’m looking forward to more from this talented author. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I couldn’t put this book down! Spellbinding look into a little-known facet of WWII. I disliked the heroine at first and read for the hero, but I love that they both grow!

I cannot believe that Things We Didn’t Say is Amy Green’s debut novel! I was sucked in from the very first letter! Normally dialogue is my favorite part of a story, but somehow I didn’t miss it at all! Through many letters, this wonderful story came to life as did our characters personalities and their stories. I normally steer clear of WWII stories because they can be too heavy and depressing, but somehow Ms. Green managed to keep this story light even with such heavy subject matter.

I loved everything about Peter and his letters to Jo. Jo, while sometimes prickly, which is one of my pet peeves, was really a kind hearted person and I actually loved her spunk and how she stood up for herself and others. I also enjoyed the pops of humor in their letters to each other as well as Jo’s letters to various people that were never sent. While the romance was subtle, it was done so well, that I ended up really enjoying it.

I am a fan of Amy Green and can’t wait for her next story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Things We Didn't Say was an interesting historical fiction, creatively and solely told through letters and news announcements. I personally was not aware of German POW camps in the Midwest during WWII, and was interested about these events. Brave women, men in foreign land, and honestly examined prejudices versus good intentions. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a gripping story! From the starting point of a German POW camp in the heartland of America, meant to assist farmers who had sent their sons to war, to the epistolary format, it was a unique read and well done. Jo was a deeply complicated and unusual character, with her reluctance to come home, her gift for linguistics, and her American-Japanese penpal friend whose family was in a Japanese relocation camp. This was a setting I was completely unfamiliar with, but Ms. Green does an excellent job weaving the historical setting into her letters and giving the reader a complete picture of the era and her characters.

Things We Didn't Say was a debut novel by Amy Lynn Green, but I can't wait to see what she writes next! 5 stars to this beautiful novel.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

NetGalley read now
November 3, 2020
Bethany House
Fiction, Christian fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction
416 pages
11/4-11/15/20

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This historical fiction written in polylogic epistolary fashion perfectly describes the life experiences of people during 1944. It begins with prosecutors documents of evidence against
Johanna Berglund, a headstrong linguistics student at the University of Minnesota. With her father as Mayor of their small town of Ironside Lake, she was relieved to plan a future beyond the criticism and judgment of the town in which she grew.

Johanna is enraged when she is forced to leave school to help out the Army as they set up a German POW camp in Ironside Lake. Her talent in linguistics being able to speak several languages including German made her an asset to their efforts. With the help of the YMCA they planned to use the prisoners to assist the farmers much to the angst of the community.

Facing the inevitable she relies on her former roommate Olive to keep her abreast of the gossip at school. She also relies heavily on her friend Peter Ito who is a Japanese language instructor for military intelligence officers. He encourages her to use her unique language skills for the new experience as translator in the German prison camp in Ironside Lake.

Many become accustomed to Joanna’s cynical and abrupt manner and soon she begins to accept her present situation. The leader of the prison camp Captain Stefan Werner shows more attention to Johanna than she felt necessary. Over time she begins to learn about the prisoners and their families. As interpreter she needed to read and censor every correspondence entering and leaving the camp. She also rekindles a friendship with Annika with whom she had known since childhood. In time the place where she was raised becomes more comfortable than she remembered it being.

Controversy begins to stir after Johanna suggests submitting articles to the local newspaper written by a selected prisoner. Soon Johanna doesn’t know who she could trust any longer when rumors circulate that she is a German sympathizer. Then she learns her friend Peter is being charged with treason as well. How does all this turn out? Will the truth be revealed? Who are not who they say are?

I’m a big fan of epistolary novels and books set in the WWII time period, so Things We Didn’t Say, a story told in letters, snippets from newspapers, and telegrams about a WWII prison camp for German soldiers in a small town in Minnesota was a perfect fit for me.

Johanna Berglund was always an outlier in the hamlet of Ironside Lake, MN. While other girls were dreaming of weddings, Joanna wanted nothing more than to study languages at university, with her heart set on Oxford. The war is wreaking havoc with everyone’s plans however and 1944 finds her (somewhat) contentedly studying linguistics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She still plans to go to Oxford, she just has to graduate and wait for the war to end for that to happen. Not being able to go to England has been a bit of a let-down, but she’s put her time to good use by correcting any mistakes her professors make in the classroom as she studies modern languages. Her skills in French, Danish, Greek and Latin are exemplary, but it is her fluency in German that draws the attention of the U.S. Army. Their plans to put a prison camp in Ironside Lake will serve a two-fold purpose: provide a permanent settlement for the prisoners far away from typical avenues of escape, and supply workers for the farmers in the area who have been requesting them from the Trade Center Committee. For the program to succeed they need an expert translator and Johanna, with her deep ties to the community and her facility with languages, seems ideal.

Johanna’s response to the request for her services is an emphatic no. She has no plans to ever return to Ironside Lake and the heartaches and rejections she left behind there. Furthermore, the community can offer her nothing to advance her dreams, and having her associated with the camp will put her father, the mayor, in a very awkward position. The townspeople are up in arms about the arrival of the prisoners, whom they absolutely do not want anywhere in their vicinity. Their little burg has lost too many sons to the war for them to have any charitable feelings towards enemy soldiers.

The army, of course, prevails both in the placement of their penitentiary and, via a threat to Johanna’s scholarship, obtaining their choice of translator. When Johanna describes her woes to Peter Ito, a close friend, he encourages her to make the best of the situation. Peter, a Californian of Japanese descent, is an expert at doing just that. He is working at Camp Savage, teaching Japanese to military personnel and civilians involved in the war effort while his family languishes in an internment camp

Initially, Johanna is surly and rather difficult to work with but when she is ordered to teach the prisoners English, she begins to interact with the men of the camp and begins viewing them more sympathetically. She is especially pleased to make the acquaintance of the handsome and charming German spokesman Stefan Werner, whose quick wit and fluent English make him an asset to her class. But their friendship has repercussions that she could never have imagined.

The novel starts with a bang; we learn right away that Johana has been accused of and is awaiting trial on the charge of treason. While the details of the case are not given in that early letter, the sense of impending doom it imparts stays with us throughout the novel as we try to determine exactly what happened. The author does a nice job of setting Johanna up as someone whom we could see involved in such malfeasance from the start. Her strong sense of self and her belief in forging her own path could easily serve as an impetus to action in righting what she perceived to be an injustice. It took no effort to imagine Johanna behaving in a manner she considered righteous and the army considered treasonous.

Contrasting Johanna’s driven and forceful personality is Peter’s easy going, far more amiable nature. He is as moral as Johanna, but his principles are tempered with courtesy, patience and compassion. For all that we are often reminded of Johanna’s prodigious intelligence, Peter seems far more capable of making reasoned, balanced decisions. He also seems to understand people far more. I loved that their deepening friendship shows how dissimilar personalities can harmonize so that a more pleasing whole is achieved.

The author also does a great job of characterizing the enterprisingly sleazy newsman who plays a pivotal role in the plot, the army personnel and the townsfolk of Ironside through their mail. Each missive conveys the character of the writer succinctly and successfully.

There is a romance here, although it doesn’t take place until after the thirty percent mark, which means it occurs in spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that it’s easy to figure out whom Johanna falls in love with given that the bulk of congenial correspondence occurs with only one man who isn’t her father or an elderly pastor.

This is an inspirational romance, and Ms. Green does a fantastic job of weaving faith lightly and naturally into the story. The primary theme – that God sustains us during dark times – is one that is organic to the plot and appropriate to the time period.

The history here is handled marvelously, with the frank look at American bigotry and the close-mindedness that can be a hallmark of small town mentality being spotlighted for the harm they cause. The text also does a terrific job of showing how those cast in the role of second class citizens – women, Blacks, or any hyphenated American – often love a country which doesn’t love them back.

For all that I adored about this story, it has one flaw that kept it from DIK status – the pacing of the narrative lags. After the shocking revelation at the beginning of the book, the rhythm of the story settles into a rather leisurely account of life in the small town home-front. While this gives us a chance to become familiar with the characters and their daily routines, it also provides an excellent opportunity for disinterest. I didn’t find myself fully engaged in the tale until I hit the fifty percent mark. Up to that point the story is a mildly pleasing read that makes some important historical points but which is not exactly riveting. Fortunately, the second half of the book is completely captivating.

My only other quibble is that I am not sure Johanna ever comes to a full realization of the dangers of her impetuosity. I would have appreciated the author forcing her to acknowledge that a bit more.

In spite of its minor flaws, Things We Didn’t Say is a sweet, heartfelt read and anyone who enjoys epistolary stories will find a lot to love in this charming novel.

Friends, I read 75% of this book TODAY because I literally couldn't put it down. The characters are so real and the information is just so good. I typically don't read historical fiction set during this time period, but I'm going to have to change that because I find it fascinating. It was very clear that the author knew what she was writing about and I loved that.

This book is so *smart*, but is also so full of heart. I appreciated Jo's ability to be blunt with her faith issues. She's very real about where she is with God and I was grateful to see that. It made her more human. Peter is everything and I love him dearly, but the rest of the cast of characters are fantastic as well. This book is just very well done. And a debut! Color me impressed. I look forward to more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All expressed opinions belong to me.

"We can easily hurt others, and once we do, there's no escaping each other. Forgiveness is all that keeps us together, and withholding it keeps us apart."

What a unique and powerful debut novel from Amy Green! Told entirely through letters sent from one person to another toward the end of WWII, the novel speaks about grace, forgiveness, human condition, and the power of love through candid, raw, and often heart-breaking words. There are quite a few letter writers represented in the story but the main voice of Jo is fresh, inquisitive, intelligent, and quite funny while Peter is loyal, kind, true and wise. Jo is somewhat self-centered in the beginning as the introverted prodigy linguist but she weathers the hardships to emerge stronger and more sure. I really enjoyed getting to know Peter and felt a kinship with him as a fellow Asian-American and immigrant. Jo and Peter's friendship is delightful and learning about German POW camps in the US was quite fascinating. This book is soul-stirring, thought-provoking, and truly well-written. It asks us how we, as "just fallible people trying desperately to make sense of an incomprehensibly complex world," can help each other despite our differences in race, color, culture, and religion.

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers via Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

4.5 stars

This was such a unique story in the way that it was told. Through a series of letters and articles between Johanna Berglund, her friends, family, and community, an incredible story unfolds.

As a linguistic student, Johanna is recruited to work as a US Army translator for German POWs in her hometown. Most of the citizens there want nothing to do with the prisoners, and Johanna is criticized for working with them. Through interactions with the prisoners and censoring their letters, she begins to feel more sympathetic toward their less than ideal situations in the camps. While making strides to better their treatment and living conditions, she finds herself growing closer to one of the prisoners. But can he be trusted?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I wasn’t sure if would like the style of writing, but it surprisingly flowed very well. I especially loved reading the letters between Johanna and Peter. It was clear they had a very close bond and she confided in him so often, but the conversations and banter between them were so effortless, it was impossible to ignore that there was something more between them.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3641454900

Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.
This is an epistolary novel, so if letters aren’t your thing, it won’t be for you. But if they are, then check this book out. I was hooked from the first letter and had to know how a woman became a POW translator - and more. The buildup of this novel was slow at times. I feel like some shorter letters could’ve helped with the pacing along with reducing the amount of letters present. However, the book is filled with eccentric characters that I really enjoyed spending time with while reading this book. I also have never read a book set in this setting during WWII, and I loved how the author made this genre that is saturated feel fresh and new. This was Green’s first novel, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Things We Didn't Say is a historical novel set during World War II. Johanna Berglund is a linguistics student who returns to her small town to work as a translator at a camp for German prisoners of war. She balances her work, her longing to return to university life, conflict with her childhood best friend, and a correspondence with her friend Peter, who is a Japanese-American man with a similar linguistic background and strong ties to Jo.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction set during the 1940's. The setting sounded unique and historically interesting.

This book has one of the most unique formats I've encountered -- it is told entirely in letters and newspaper columns, as well as some official documents related to Jo's work at the camp. The format makes for a dense but rich read -- not a quick read but an utterfly fascinating approach to storytelling.

Jo's story was fascinating. She is a prickly, sometimes difficult protagonist, but she has compassion for others and wants to be fair-minded. I loved Peter and their relationship which slowly develops over time through letters. His story, working for the military while his parents were in an internment camp for Japanese-American citizens was particularly powerful.

I am so glad I read this novel; it will surely be in my yearly top 10 list, and I recommend it highly for other readers who love historical fiction set during World War II.

World War II in the United States.
Thanks to Amy Lynn Green and the publisher of this novel for giving a glimpse of what might have been.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing this advanced read.

Will history repeat itself?
Is this a cautionary tale?
I will certainly be thinking about this novel for quite some time.

While I can count on one hand the number of epistolary novels I’ve read, this debut novel from Amy Lynn Green stands head and shoulders above the rest. The level of intimacy that the reader gains by reading the personal thoughts of the characters kept me fully engaged and turning pages to see what response would follow and how the story would unfold.

I found it refreshing how without all the colorful descriptions you’d find in your average story, by reading a selection of letters, news stories, and telegrams my imagination was invited to fill in the gray areas. Like adding color to an intricate black and white drawing. Not once did I feel that anything was left out, and all the plot lines were nicely tied up by the end.

I look forward to reading many more exciting stories from Amy Lynn Green in the future!

(I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this engaging and informative novel. What an interesting idea, to have the novel consist entirely of letters and other communications, such as newspaper articles and government documents. I liked the leading character, Johanna, who was crafted exceptionally well. And that her character was revealed through her letters and the letters of others was remarkable. I liked her wit and humor so often fully revealed in letters she wrote but then never sent.

In addition to being entertaining, the novel dealt with some serious issues. How we pray for the unsaved in view of a sovereign God is one issue included. Another was how Christians are to treat their enemies. There is much about prejudice in the novel as a small Minnesota community deals with a new POW camp nearby. Johanna, musing on her insights from translating and censoring POW letters reflects, “Maybe, I thought, if I were pen pals with everyone in the world, I would understand people better.” (Loc 2392/5593)

I highly recommend this novel. It is an engaging story of fictional characters facing serious issues during WW II – ones we still face today. Green is a very creatively talented writer and this is an amazing debut effort. Please, another novel soon!

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is an explosive, fascinating well researched story that reads like a documentary. This author masterfully tells this story through letters, newspaper articles, documents and testimony from events that happened in the German POW camps. The author states this novel is based heavily on real experiences of POW camps in the Midwest during WWII. She says, . …”Occasionally, I had to substitute a “this could have happened” detail, such as having Jo censor letters at the camp itself rather than through the official censor stations in Chicago, and later New York, or making overseas letters arrive without many delays.”

This is a book that would work well for your next book club pick. There is so much to talk about. This is an author to watch.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog
www.bookfun.org

I really enjoy this genre, and the description sounded interesting. I was excited to check it out.

The story unfolds via letters, notes, and documents, which is different from my typical read. Sadly, due to the style, I had a hard time connecting with the story and characters. While some of the details were interesting and informative, I felt like I was listening to someone tell me a story vs. actually being a part of the story. I didn't find the story to have the depth or character development I expected to find. Some parts of the story dragged, showing it could've benefitted from a tighter edit. I found the ending to be a bit of a disappointment.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This was a very interesting story about a (fictional) WWII POW camp in Minnesota. While the camp and town are fictional, the story is based in reality.

Johanna Berglund is a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota. She has a goal to leave her tiny hometown behind and eventually go study at Oxford, where she can translate the classics. Johanna is offered a job as a translator at the POW camp that is going into her hometown. The German prisoners will work on local farms helping with the crops. Johanna wants nothing to do with it, and turns down the job offer. When her anonymous scholarship donor changes the rules, she takes the job as the only way to keep her scholarship.

While I enjoyed the story, and I was interested in where it was going and how it would end, it was very tough to get lost in the story and want to read for long periods of time. The entire book is a series of letters between various people. This style made it easy to step away temporarily and not just get lost in the story line.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

Things We Didn't Say is an epistolary novel set in Minnesota during WWII. The book is a compilation of letters mostly between Johanna Berglund and her friend Peter Ito - a teacher at a training camp outside Minneapolis, but also includes articles written for the local paper among various other letters.

Jo is asked to leave school at the University of Minnesota to go back to her hometown of Ironside Lake to work as a translator and censor for letters written between the German POW's and their families/friends. She left her hometown without really wanting to return but is not given much choice about coming back when this job is presented to her. She must face her past and the citizens who are not happy about the POW camp. Jo attempts to show the town their prejudices which helps lead her into a scandal.

I am a huge fan of epistolary novels and this one was very well done. It has been compared to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which is one of my favorites. I really liked how the author included rough drafts of letters that Jo wrote that were never sent or that she later edited. It was a great way of getting into Jo's head and hearing her spunky, unfiltered thoughts.

“The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” meets Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon in Amy Lynn Green’s WWII novel, “Things We Didn’t Say.” The story unfolds in epistolary fashion, featuring correspondence between linguistics student, Johanna Berglund, and various friends -- with a generous sprinkling of newspaper articles. The setting is Ironside Lake, a small town in Minnesota, and the site of a POW camp, housing German prisoners brought in to work on the farms. Like Lake Wobegon, Ironside Lake features strong women, above-average children, and an active chapter of the Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation.

Hometown girl, Johanna is hired (more like conscripted) to serve as translator for the camp. She would prefer to stay at the university pursuing her studies. Her close friend and pen pal, Peter Ito, teaches Japanese for the Military Intelligence Service. Johanna is able to see the common humanity in the German prisoners and encourages the locals to do likewise. But her correspondence with a Japanese man, coupled with her advocacy for the prisoners, cause the town’s residents to question her loyalties. When some POWs escape, Johanna is suspected of complicity.

Themes of faith, fear of the other, and small-town life make this a heart-warming novel. I found the short, epistolary segments helpful in this season of reduced attention spans.