This book wasn’t really quite what I thought but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed learning about the characters and the story had a nice flow to it. The story was very emotional at times and sometimes it was a bit dull but overall it was a good read. I would recommend it.

Mattie Taylor closest friend has always been her twin brother Mark and she's delighted that they will graduate from high school and start college together, but then on graduation night she finds out that he has decided to join the Marines with his friend Nash. Crushed that they are risking their lives to fight in what Mattie believes is an unjust war in Vietnam, Mattie leaves for college alone. When her parents get a telegraph a few months later telling of Mark's death, she leaves school, attends the funeral and then flees to California, vowing not to return. But a year later, Mattie's world is again shattered when she is summoned home because her mother has incurable cancer. Still harboring anger against her parents for their support of Mark, Mattie is encouraged by her mother to read the contents of a special box, but to keep it hidden from her father. This story line alternates with a 1940's story line about a young war widow Ava Delaney who finds herself on a lonely Tennessee horse farm with a cold, distant mother-in-law. Knowing they need money, Ava takes a job at the nearby fort. Working for a doctor there, Ava learns that the base will soon be the internment space for Germans who were in the US when the war started. Shocklee has captured realistically both the emotions of the US during WWII and then the early 1970's in these intertwining stories of self-discovery, faith, and family.

I loveddddddddd this book!!!!! The mystery, the duel timeline, the romance, all of it. I loved it so so so much🫶

This time-split novel covers the Vietnam War era and WWII. The main character in the Vietnam era, Mattie Taylor returns home a year after her twin brother’s untimely death in Vietnam. As a war objector, Mattie left as she didn’t believe in the cause and it was too painful to remain at home with her parents after her brother’s death. But, she is now called home due to her mother’s advanced cancer.
In the WWII era, the main female lead is Ava Delaney who just lost her newlywed husband to the Pearl Harbor bombing. Ava moves in with her mother-in-law who begrudgingly gives her refuge. An interment camp for German citizens opens and Ava finds a job there. She is able to see past the prejudices of many of other staff and the town. She befriends medical student, Gunther, who life was turned upside down when he was caught in a sweep of Germans living in the United States. Their friendship deepens and Ava’s life gets more complicated, especially as the widow of a US serviceman.
This story speaks about family ties and differing points-of-view over wars. It speaks of prejudice and fear, especially during times of attack.

This was a different time of WWII story. I enjoyed reading this perspective and unique circumstance throughout the story.

Fantastic book with believable, flawed characters as well as a sweet romance that takes back seat to a stellar story.

What a beautiful story of redemption! I liked the authors story telling style and would read more books by her in the future.

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee was a very captivating historical fiction with undertones of Christian faith mixed in. This was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by Michelle Shocklee and I was quite impressed with her masterful storytelling abilities. All We Thought We Knew was written in a dual timeline. It portrayed the climate of feelings, acceptance and everyday life during the Second World War and the Vietnam War which were exemplified in sharp contrast. All We Thought We Knew was told from the POV of three main characters, two that lived during World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor and one that came of age during the controversial Vietnam War. The setting for All We Thought We Knew was a horse farm in the heart of Tennessee.

Ava met Richard Delaney at a USO dance in Nashville. It was love at first sight for Richard and after their brief three week courtship Richard asked Ava to marry him. Richard was in the Navy and he was to be stationed in Hawaii. Ava and Richard were married and the plan was for Ava to join him in Hawaii as soon as he was able to secure housing for them. Unfortunately, Richard did not live long enough for him to welcome Ava in Hawaii. Richard was a victim of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He died before he and Ava were able to start their lives together. Ava found herself a widow living on her mother-in-law’s horse farm in Tullahoma, Tennessee. As hard as Ava tried, it was extremely difficult to like her mother-in-law, Gertrude. She was bitter about her son’s death and Gertrude proved to be a cold and demanding force towards Ava. Finances were tight so Ava felt compelled to help Gertrude with the horse farm despite the way Gertrude treated Ava and the guilt she instilled upon her. Then one morning, Ava noticed an advertisement in the local newspaper for employment opportunities for civilians at Camp Forrest, a military base. Ava had been a secretary In Nashville before she married Richard. She decided to apply for a position and to her surprise and delight she was assigned to work with the head doctor of the base’s hospital. Ava’s life was about to change dramatically.

Gunther Schneider was a young medical student enrolled at Columbia’s school of medicine in the early years of World War II. He had immigrated from Germany in 1937 specifically for the purpose of attending medical school in the United States. Gunther was a very conscientious and hard working man. He was showing promise of a very bright future in medicine when his whole life changed in an instant. One evening, Gunther was studying in his small apartment when he heard insistent knocking on his apartment door. The Japanese had just attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States had declared war on both Japan and Germany. Anyone of German descent was being questioned and detained. German descendants were now considered enemy aliens. Gunther Schneider found himself detained on Ellis Island until he was relocated to Camp Forrest in Tennessee. Ava’s and Gunther’s paths crossed at Camp Forrest. How would a chance meeting become the stimulus that guided the relationship Ava and Gunther developed? Would Ava be able to help Gunther improve his situation at Camp Forrest?

Martha Ann or Mattie Taylor, as almost everyone called her, grew up on Delaney Horse Farm in Tullahoma, Tennessee with her twin brother, Mark. Ava was their mother. Mattie and Mark were as close as any twins could be. Their graduation from high school coincided with the beginnings of the draft for the Vietnam war. Mark’s best friend, Nash McCallum had decided to join the Marines. Nash had a troubled home life and spent more time at his best friend Mark’s house than at his own. He was scheduled to begin his training right after graduation and then be sent to fight in Vietnam. To Mattie’s complete shock, her twin told her and her parents that he had also enlisted in the Marines. Mattie was so opposed to the war. She could not understand why her twin had enlisted in such a senseless war. Mark had such a promising future ahead of him. He had been accepted to a prestigious university and had a long time girlfriend whom he was very much in love with. Why would he enlist? Why didn’t her parents talk him out of it? Had Nash convinced him to enlist with him? Mattie was angry at her twin for doing this. Then the unthinkable happened. Mark was killed in action. Mattie left Tennessee right after the funeral they held for brother. It was too painful to remain there. Mattie disappeared for a little over a year. She held a strong grudge against her father for allowing Mark to go to Vietnam in the first place but when her father sent her a message that her mother was dying and that she should come home that was exactly what Mattie did. Ava, Mattie’s mother, had cancer and it was so advanced that there was very little that could be done for her other than keep her as comfortable as possible. Ava had wanted Mattie to come home. There were things that Mattie had know about before her mother passed. Ava made sure that Mattie got to read the letters in her chest that she had kept safely hidden away all these years. What would the letters reveal? What secrets had her mother kept from her? What would Mattie discover about her mother?

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee was well written and so hard to put down. It touched upon the existence of internment camps, the treatment of Germans who were living in the United States, family, grief, loss, disabled veterans, horse therapy, death of loved ones, family dynamics and a touch of romance. I connected with the main characters and enjoyed the dual time line. Growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, I related to the controversy surrounding the war in Vietnam. I felt Mattie’s pain and anger over loosing her brother. It was endearing how Mattie finally found peace through her pursuit of horse therapy for wounded and disabled war veterans. I also enjoyed the slowly growing romance that developed between Mattie and Nash. All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee was one of the better historical fiction novels I have read this year and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Tyndale Fiction for allowing me to read All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I started this and couldn't get into it at first with the back and forth but I'm glad I picked it up again.
Even though I wasn't a fan of the female main character (mostly because her personality and not really taking into account other people's feelings or opinions and was a bit self focused. It's a believable personality but it felt like she didn't really change) I got to enjoy the story the more it went on. I kinda wished at the end it could have developed more into showing how her character changed from what she learned, but it wrapped up before it could show much of that. But I loved the family atmosphere of the story and how it revealed a past-showing how we as humans are living the best we can to have a peaceful life, and how sometimes secrets become secrets when we don't mean for it to.
I like it when historical fiction shows facts that aren't shown much and the effects of war and the victims who didn't even choose to be drawn into a fight are depicted in a believable way in this book.
Once the first few chapters passed the writing style was easy to adjust to, though at times it was hard to feel a deep connection to characters and felt like it could have gone deeper. But if you want a cozy read to bring you to the past that doesn't require a lot of thinking, this is one you can pick up.
Read from: Oct 21, 2024 - Oct 21, 2024

All We Thought We Knew is the first book I have read written by Michelle Shocklee, but I have multiple books by her on my TBR list. Reading this book just confirmed I need to move the books up on my TBR pile. All We Thought We Knew is in the top 5 books I have read this year and might be contending for first place. I will wait until the end of the year to officially decide, but it has a fair chance at winning right now. (Walking on Hidden Wing is the other top read currently)

The character development was truly powerful. I was sucked in and right beside Mattie as she slapped Nash, with Ava as she taught English lessons to Gunther, and with Gunther as he was loaded on a rail car to move to North Dakota.

The storyline was amazing. There is just something that fascinates me about WWII. It was such a complex war, with many dynamics. All We Thought We Knew touched on a lot of those different dynamics. It wasn’t so war heavy, but the side of the home front in the USA. But also, the glimpses of Gunther’s brother being a Nazi, and Dr. Sonnenberg being a Jew and dealing with Nazi POA which shown light on what was going on. The internment camps for the Germans and other Prisoners were an interesting side to learn more about.

The historical element was great. I learned a lot. I felt like I was right there during 1940s and 1960s while the two timelines were going on. It was easy to envision and see what was happening.

The relationship aspect was very clean and sweet. Very closed door and realistic.

Michelle Shocklee did a great job intertwining faith throughout the whole book. I appreciated the journey that Ava, Mattie and Gunther went on to find their faith. It was really encouraging.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

All We Thought We Knew was easily in my top 10 reads of 2024. This book is Shocklee's strongest writing and most engaging book yet, and I can't say enough good things about it.

Both timelines were very engaging, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to continue with each characters' story as the book progressed. There were definitely some heavier topics in the book, like losing a loved one from cancer, but while it was heavy it was perfectly balanced with grief and hope. The emotions all of the characters felt at the injustice of loss and suffering wrongly was so palpable both on the page and in my heart.

If you're looking for a book you won't soon forget, read this one.

Thank you to Michelle Shockley, NetGalley, and Tyndale for this #gifted book!
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Title: All We Thought We Knew
Author: Michelle Shocklee
Genre: Historical Fiction
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Synopsis: “We were on different roads, with different circumstances holding us prisoner, but fear, no matter what it looked like, would eventually destroy us if something didn’t change.” Still reeling from her brother’s death in the Vietnam War, Mattie Taylor returns home to a mother who is dying and a father with whom she has a very rocky relationship. On top of that, her brother’s best friend Nash who is also a war veteran now works for her father. And Mattie blames all of them for her brother’s death. 27 years earlier in 1942, Ava Delaney is facing widowhood as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But when a new job at the military base brings her face to face with a German detainee, Ava’s feelings of grief begin to turn to hope and maybe something more. As Ava and Mattie seek to discover healing in their personal lives, both are drawn into life-altering secrets: some that Ava isn’t sure she should keep and others that Mattie isn’t sure she wants to uncover.

Analysis: Michelle Shocklee is a new-to-me author, but this definitely won’t be my last read! I actually grabbed this book on a whim from NetGalley, and I’m so glad that I did! I loved the dual timeline points of view. This book provided a unique look at America in WW2 and some of the camps that were set up stateside. It touches on sensitive issues of prejudice in times of war. The other timeline is during the Vietnam War. I loved that this book provides a Christian perspective on what it may have been like for the young people in America during this time. This book didn’t wrap up with a pretty bow, and I actually loved the book for that. There were a lot of real questions from the main characters, but there was healing and looking to Christ for the answers. This was a book I didn’t know I would love so much, and I think if you read it you will too!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

One of the best reads of the year for me! I loved being able to connect with the Characters, I really felt that I could relate to their thoughts and actions. It was especially relatable when characters asked the hard questions that we ask today like, "Why would a good God allow death and hardship to His people?". A heart-wrenching beautiful story intertwined with history. Absolutely beautiful! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the read!!

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee is a touching dual timeline novel set during World War II and the Vietnam War and the devastating effects these wars had on a family history.

I enjoyed this story of forgiveness and redemption and recommend it to those who love historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This novel was very well-written and connected World War II with Vietnam. The connections between the characters helped hold my interest. The back and forth within the time periods was a little confusing but I could follow it pretty well. The story unfolded nicely and came to a good resolution in the end even with the death of one of the characters. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction and stories where the characters find out about themselves through their family's history.

Devoured this book! I love Michelle Shocklee and she did a beautiful job with this book.
This book is a dual timeline, one following Mattie Taylor after just losing her twin brother in the Vietnam War, the other following Ava Delaney and Gunther Schneider during the mid-1940s. Mattie has a lot of anger over her brother’s death- anger towards the government for being involved in the first place, but also anger towards her father for not stopping him from going in the first place. She must confront all those feelings as she returns home to visit her dying mother. Ava finds work at an army base after her husband dies, finding an unlikely friend in Gunther, a Columbia medical student from Germany who has been detained at the base.
I admire the way Shocklee tackles topics that aren’t as well known, like German POWs in the USA, in this case. This book covered some of the history I was unaware of, but also gave insight into the prejudices a German in the US might have dealt with.
Definitely recommend this book!

This was cute. I think this is my first christian historical fiction.

I really enjoyed-
>Dual-timeline
>Set during WW2 & Vietnam War
>Family secrets
>Slow-burn

I was left with a lot of emotions. Def recommend

All We Thought We Knew is a poignant and bittersweet dual timeline that gave me all the feels. Michelle Shocklee did a masterful job of tying the WW2 era to the 1969 Vietnam era in the lives of two families.

This is a well told story with many opportunities to watch how the characters dealt with trials, disappointments and forgiveness. I especially enjoyed Gunther's and Nash's characters.

If you enjoy Southern women's fiction with a touch of mystery, I highly recommend All We Thought We Knew. I appreciate Tyndale making a copy available for review.

A Wartime, Homefront Masterpiece-

We may find that, because of war, hard decisions are made that will later change “all we thought we knew”.

Tears fill my eyes as I turn the last pages of this heartfelt story. Dual-time, dual wars, with strong opinions, misplaced allegiances, lost and uncertain futures, the characters of this story fight for life and love while sacrificing freedom and family. Michelle Shocklee pens another compelling heart journey, with strong spiritual content that belongs in this story of life and death.

Caroline Hewitt narrates the passion of this story through its broad cast of characters. She successfully differentiates voices for characters that you will love and some, thankfully with smaller parts, that will grate on your nerves, as is the character’s role. Another audiobook to love and listen to again and again.

Possible triggers: cancer, death of a brother

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. I also purchased the audiobook.

This book held so many memories for me.
Like the author, my father was a WWII veteran and like her, I wish I had asked more questions and gleaned more details when he talked about his experiences. I was very proud of him.
Unlike the author, I remember the Vietnam era well. My husband was in the Navy at that time.
This story brought me to tears many times. It was so authentically written. I connected with Ava more than Mattie. Mattie was very opinionated and to my mind would not consider other views. But she did portray the attitudes of the generation of my teens and early twenties.
I liked the steadiness of Kurt and Nash. They overcame the overwhelming conditions of war. The faith element permeated the story. The characters lived out their beliefs naturally. The theme of family and reconciliation was deftly written.
This is a must read for those wanting a glimpse of the home front during WWII and the connection of that generation to the Vietnam era.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Tyndale via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*