I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love Johanna. Passionate, compassionate and a little bit of a spitfire. Reading the letters felt like reading someone's heart. Very enjoyable a nd Unputdownable!

When a story begins with an accusation of treason, it is certain that drama will ensue. Amy Lynn Green's quiet build-up of character identities, romance, and the power of language is a testament to her skill and patience as an author. Despite knowing where the story was going, nothing was revealed too quickly, and the hints and seeds planted throughout developed the story beautifully.

This epistolary novel follows Jo(hanna) Berglund, a prodigious linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, who is recruited by the US Army to interrupt her studies and return to her tiny hometown of Ironside, MN to serve as the translator and censor at a German prisoner-of-war camp. Spunky, spirited, and (mostly) self-confident, Jo reluctantly agrees to take the post. Through letters to her university friends Peter and Olive, and the occasional fiery exchange with the editor of the local paper, Jo wrestles with her faith, her patriotism, and her relationships.

Green's writing is fantastic, and she inhabits the different voices of her characters so effectively. As acknowledged in her Author's Note, it doesn't matter at all that I can't picture the characters because I fell in love with them anyway! The politics and prejudices of 1944 are depicted in such an honest and interesting way, and I learned so much about German POW camps, the experience of Japanese-American soldiers, and lovers of language during this period of American history (which is so special for a novel in the highly saturated WWII fiction genre).

My only critique is that the jump backwards in time at the beginning of the novel paired with the epistolary style made it a bit difficult to get my bearings at first. Several characters were introduced in the first few letters and documents, and it took me a little longer than I would have preferred to figure out who everyone was and how they all connected. That said, it is absolutely worth pushing through a little bit of confusion (likely easier to do in a physical copy to flip back and forth between pages) because the rest of the novel is truly engrossing.

This novel helped me get out of the reading slump I'd found myself for a few weeks, uncharacteristically avoiding fiction.

Things We Didn't Say is written in epistolary form, my favourite style, and it focuses on a year in Johanna Berglund's life, a linguist student turned US army translator. I liked the unknown (to me) perspective on World War II. It's always interesting to look at that time period from a different angle. I don't think I've read a WWII novel set in US before.

There is a lot of depth in this apparently easy to read novel. I admit this was my reasoning going in: something light to make me want to read fiction. I liked how different mysteries were hinted at and scattered thoughout the novel, but it was done without it being overbearing or just for the sake of creating something to keep the reader interested. The characters have depth and personality, so the novel was full of relatable moments for me. Getting to distinguish a character's voice solely through letters is not something easily achieved, but the author did it.

It was also fascinating to learn about the US Prisoner of War camps in the Midwest and the attitude the locals had towards these prisoners. I found the topic of the other, the foreigner, the one of a different race very relevant to the history of US, and especially relevant these days. However, it is applicable to anyone, not just Americans. The struggle with one's faith and how we can accept God's plan was another theme the novel dealt with.

There is a delicately presented love story unfolding, but I especially appreciated it not being the focal point. It was cheeky how the angle of the false romance was added in. Since romance is not the main point of the novel at all, it made the novel even better for me. What it focused on were the relationships in a small community, the power of the written word, the value prayers have for the one who prays, the importance of holding strong to what you believe in, and the willingness to give up something good for something even better. Funny how a story of the mid -1940s has echo in the 2020s.

It's the sort of novel you speed through towards the end because you want to learn how it all ties together, but at the same time you don't want it to end. I enjoyed reading Things We Didn't Say a lot and I look forward to reading more from Amy Lynn Green, an original voice on the Christian Historical Fiction scene.

The subject of POV camps built in the United States during WWII is seldom discussed. It's a time in history that few want to investigate deeply. But the presence of enemy soldiers on American soil was sure to draw a strong response from the local residents and those Americans employed in the camps were not exempt from that response.

This story is told through the letters written to and from the POWs and their keepers. It is a style that requires skillful writing and well thought out reader's reactions. Amy Lynn Green has done a masterful job of telling Jo's story utilizing only these letters.

Johanna Berglund has been coerced by fate and the US Army into accepting a translator position at the German POW camp located near her hometown. Jo was never on good terms with her neighbors, she saw no reason to keep her opinions to herself. So when she returns, her homecoming is not a warm, welcome one. As she carries out her duties, Jo learns to see the prisoners as people, they have families and emotions that evoke a strong reaction to some of the directions she is ordered to complete. The story as it unwinds will paint a picture of a young woman with a conscience that will lead her to speak out and ultimately find her charged with treason. I ran the full gamut of emotions with her from sorrow to anger and back again. This is definitely a story that should be read and shared.

This is a fascinating book. The story is told by a series of letters written during WWII. Most of the tale concerns a POW farm labor camp in Minnesota and the translator who worked there. I also live in an area where POWs lived and worked. Post-war, many stayed to become American citizens because in the USA they could own land and be their own boss. The story is entirely believable and well-written I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Love the history that this book has to offer. What a wonderful read for those that love books dealing with WW II. The story offers a glimpse in to what Americans dealt with in POW camps and the Germans who worked in them. The main character Jo (Johanna) has a fun, snarky, and sarcastic personality that makes the book even more enjoyable.
It’s a story about history sprinkled with intrigue and romance. Loved the use of letters in the writing of this book. It brought a new dimension to the telling of the story and a way for Jo to prove she had not committed treason.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and was looking forward to reading a new author.
At first I was a little thrown off that it was a book comprised completely of letters and notes (epistolary). This is only the second book I have read in this format.
The author did draw me into the story in the beginning. You get the feel of the characters and I could imagine all the settings.
For me I couldn't connect with the main character. I found Jo to be too hardheaded and selfish. I found her whining about not being able to attend her studies while there is a war going on off putting for me. Like.....there is a war going on!
I do feel like the pacing of the story was too slow for my preference. I found myself loosing interest in the story and having to make myself finish. I know that some people loved it, so I think it just comes down to taste.

My favorite character was Peter. He was so sweet and I really enjoyed every one of his letters. He was the character I rooted for the most and I was the most interested in his involvement in the war effort.
I think that this author did a great job for her first book, there were just things that turned me off of the story. The writing was good, just not for me.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally. All my opinions are completely my own and honest.

A thoroughly engrossing epistolary novel set in WWII Minnesota, a view of the homefront we don't always see. This is a debut author to watch.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

The way this book is written is quite hard to get into at the beginning. But actually makes for a wonderfully different approach to a historical novel. It was encouraging to me to stand for what I believe in and to remember the dreams, even those that change. God is often in the changes and is always guiding each of us. Such a good reminder.

A very interesting story based on events in a German POW camp in Minnesota during WWII. Young Johanna Berglund begrudgingly comes home from the university to become an interpreter for the prisoners. Entirely created by letters written by Johanna and others, this book gives readers an interesting look at this little known piece of history. Johanna is a fascinating character with quite the wit. I know many readers will find this story enjoyable. I found it harder to read being all letters.

Johanna Berglund in going to the university in Minnesota during WWII when she is forced to leave the university and return home to her small town in Minnesota and work as an interpreter at a very unpopular German POW camp. She becomes more sympathetic to the inmates as time goes on, which makes the local townspeople not trust her and accuse her of treason...who to trust! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I can never resist an epistolary novel and this is one of the best I've read. Chronicling just under a year in the life of a brilliant linguistics scholar toward the end of World War II, this story takes a hard look at our nation's treatment of entire ethnic groups while we were at war with their native country. Effectively forced to work as a translator in a POW work camp in rural Minnesota, Jo Berglund, who had befriended an American young man if Japanese descent at the university, finds herself in an impossible position because of her insistence on seeing the German prisoners not as a collective enemy tool but as individual human beings.

When a book challenges your thinking and makes you look hard at your own thoughts and attitudes and motivations, it’s an excellent book. That’s exactly what Things We Didn’t Say did for me. It was a wonderfully told story that really made me think.

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley.
The entire book is written in letters and notes to/from different characters so it took a little longer for me to get into the story. I came to admire the main character Johanna for her dedication to her studies and her "tell it like it is" attitude as she was forced into another path rather than be able to stay at university working on her studies during WWII. She becomes a translator at a POW camp in her hometown then has to deal with being arrested as a possible traitor to the U.S.

I read every detail of this book, including the author's note at the end. I learned that this is the author's debut novel, which I never would have imagined!! This story is incredibly well-written in an epistolary manner (which might be a turn off to some, but I really enjoyed).
This book caught my attention from the very beginning, where it talks about a "civilian charged with involvement in prisoner-of-war-related crimes is a complicated affair." I was like, what? What happened? You might be asking yourself that very question right now...and it you are dying of curiosity like I was, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed...a truly great story on so many different levels.
There are not a lot of physical details given about the characters, but you get to know them through the letters. I am actually glad that we are not given a lot of details, or that might have spoiled the image that we get of them.
I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but the style of writing really intrigued me and I had a hard time putting the book down to get anything else done. Johanna is the main character and I loved her sharp wit and humor. Yes, humor. I never expected to laugh out loud or be snickering through a "historical" read, but that is exactly what I did. Especially in the letters that never got sent. It was really refreshing to see a book that could have really been heavy, given the nature of the story (war), written in such an effortless way, that really kept my attention. (So, during this pandemic season, do not let what could be the "serious" nature of this book be a turn off to you.
This book had many layers, including elements of suspense and mystery, it really made you wonder who the enemy was. If you are like me, you won't wonder for long, you will simply read until you learn the truth. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who likes historical fiction, books written in letter form, captivating novels or just a well-written book.
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was a well written story about part of our history I was unaware of, German POW camps in the Midwest. I enjoyed the characters and it dwelt well with the struggle of racism, and the need to accept others as individuals. It worked out the hard issue of loving your neighbor when your neighbor is also you enemy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of an honest review.

Unique writing style:
It was a nice change having this book be in the format of only letters, telegrams and newspaper articles and I thought it gave us insight into a number of different characters and perspectives. I was surprised how captivating this writing style could be and I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.
I thought the author did a good job of highlighting the injustices experienced by prisoners of war interred in the USA during WWII. I grew very fond of Johanna, a linguistic student brought in to translate at a German POW camp and I liked seeing her personal growth and development. Her simple romance with Peter was also really sweet. This book had underlying themes of faith, trust and love woven throughout.
Overall I really enjoyed this debut novel and I look forward to reading upcoming books by this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will love this book! The author, Amy Lynn Green, does an amazing job of both entertaining and informing her readers in this story of a linguistics student who is hired as a translator at a POW camp for a German soldiers in Minnesota. One thing to mention is this story is told completely through letters, telegrams and newspaper articles. It’s not my favorite style but it really works this time, I definitely recommend getting this book when it comes out in November!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy WWII novels so this looked intriguing. The story entirely told in letters was delightful. I didn’t expect to say that about a story of treason and POW’s and war but this book is so well written. It is beautifully descriptive without being overly wordy making it light and fun to read. I loved the main character Johanna’s witty sarcasm and the detail of her letters. She was far from the only character in this story that had depth and made you immediately want to know more about who they were. It was one of those books that kept me reading late into the night and at every opportunity during busy days.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was utterly fantastic! I will start by saying that it is an epistolary novel (told in the form of letters, telegrams, and notes, etc.). Some people don't like that style because it generally is difficult to tell a story well in that manner, but Ms. Green overcame that obstacle beautifully. The story was told well in that format, without taking the reader out of the method or making the letters sound un-letter-like. That this was set in the 1940s when letter writing was the best way to communicate long distance helped to set the stage smartly.

One thing I did not know before reading this book is that there were POW camps here in the US during WWII. This book brought in unique facets of the War and how it impacted the US in the POW camps, the language training schools (to train soldiers to speak Japanese), and the internment camps. In addition to being educational in that regard, and having an enjoyable story-line, I absolutely adored the characters. Johanna is no doubt the type of person my child would be if I had one. With my no-nonsense attitude and my husband's wit and sarcasm, Johanna was the perfect combination of us and I found myself relating well to her on those grounds. I loved her spirit and her way of going about things and I loved how Peter grounded her and kept her focused on the right things. I adored Pastor Sorenson and his steady faithfulness, and Cornelia Knutson gets an award for best supporting character - I just adored her - and her collection of hats!

Because the letter writing happens over time and there's a natural time of progression, the character growth happens fluidly and naturally. I loved to watch Johanna grow and blossom in her circumstances and struggles as she wrote to Peter, Olive, Annika, Pastor Sorenson, Cornelia, and even the POWs. The faith thread is solid in this one as Johanna struggles with the concept of unanswered prayers and those around her encourage her in her faith. This book took me through all of the emotions. I would be laughing one moment at something that Johanna or Peter said and then all of a sudden, I've been punched in the gut with a truism brought abut by that same anecdote. There were thoughts on race relations (Peter, as a Japanese American dealt with a good deal of racism, and the German POWs noted that the American treatment of Blacks wasn't so different than their treatment of Jews), faith struggles, lost friendships, and regrets. The story-line was redemptive and moving, though, as these things were all worked through. This was one that definitely makes you think and is entertaining as well. That this is the author's debut novel makes this even more impressive. Ms. Green is now on my "watch list" of authors and I plan to read whatever she releases next!

Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was not obligated to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.