Scan barcode
bonniereads777's review against another edition
5.0
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 for Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary.
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 for Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary.
rcrawford680's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book!
Told through letters and documents versus a traditional novel narrative, you feel the emotions and can understand the thoughts and feelings from all participants.
And honestly, as many WWII historical fiction books that I’ve read, I have never read one like this - from the perspective of a German POW camp located in the United States of America. I honestly had no idea that the US had German POW camps, especially in the midwest.
Told through letters and documents versus a traditional novel narrative, you feel the emotions and can understand the thoughts and feelings from all participants.
And honestly, as many WWII historical fiction books that I’ve read, I have never read one like this - from the perspective of a German POW camp located in the United States of America. I honestly had no idea that the US had German POW camps, especially in the midwest.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
“Sometimes showing grace breaks us before it heals us.
What a surprising treat this one was! Wonderful story, told in the form of letters - about such an fascinating topic. A young woman, much to her own dismay, is assigned to a POW camp of Germans - because she speaks multiple languages and she's able to both read/translate their mail but also teach them English.
The reaction of the town to the POW camp was interesting too. Played out mainly through the local newspaper but also, again, relayed through letters, there are a lot of opinions and not a lot of compassion when it comes to the held men. This was a well written, well paced read and I loved it!
What a surprising treat this one was! Wonderful story, told in the form of letters - about such an fascinating topic. A young woman, much to her own dismay, is assigned to a POW camp of Germans - because she speaks multiple languages and she's able to both read/translate their mail but also teach them English.
The reaction of the town to the POW camp was interesting too. Played out mainly through the local newspaper but also, again, relayed through letters, there are a lot of opinions and not a lot of compassion when it comes to the held men. This was a well written, well paced read and I loved it!
redheadedbookworm84's review against another edition
3.0
I would say more of a 3.5 star rating then a straight 3. Honestly, I struggled with how to rate it. On one hand, I wanted to rate it a 5 because it’s obvious the author is extremely talented and the historical aspect of her work intrigued me greatly. But, I just felt that the concept of the entire book being written in letter format fell kind of flat. I’m in no way against this type of format, I felt it had great potential but I think having chosen the topic she did, it would have been more interesting as a “regular” novel format.
The last few chapters were probably the most interesting for me but also felt a bit rushed. I think in a “normal” novel setting she maybe could have fleshed out a bit better certain characters and their reasonings and motives behind why they did specific things…..I just felt that, for the size of book it is, it took too long to build up to the climax, and then it just kind of ended. (Sorry for the vagueness, trying to prevent spoilers!) I do feel like the Author’s writing talent really showed in the last couple of chapters/epilogue when the “big stuff” actually started happening….it made me wish the “action” had started a lot earlier!
I was left feeling like I never really got to know the characters in depth (even she admits in the back that because of the letter writing format there is hardly any explanation of what the characters even look like…and while I realize physical description of characters isn’t all there is to a great book, it definitely helps when trying to “put a face” to what you’re reading!). I think if she had even done more of a “focus each chapter on a specific character’s point of view” format, that would have helped me have more of a personal feel to each person. I finished the book not really feeling much of a connection to any of the characters and really not feeling all that invested in the storyline. (I will say, it *did*prick my curiosity about POW camps during WWII….I plan to do some further research on that to learn more!)
Honestly, even though this wasn’t my most favorite historical fiction I’ve read, I will absolutely still be keeping my eye on this author in the future as I do find her extremely talented!
The last few chapters were probably the most interesting for me but also felt a bit rushed. I think in a “normal” novel setting she maybe could have fleshed out a bit better certain characters and their reasonings and motives behind why they did specific things…..I just felt that, for the size of book it is, it took too long to build up to the climax, and then it just kind of ended. (Sorry for the vagueness, trying to prevent spoilers!) I do feel like the Author’s writing talent really showed in the last couple of chapters/epilogue when the “big stuff” actually started happening….it made me wish the “action” had started a lot earlier!
I was left feeling like I never really got to know the characters in depth (even she admits in the back that because of the letter writing format there is hardly any explanation of what the characters even look like…and while I realize physical description of characters isn’t all there is to a great book, it definitely helps when trying to “put a face” to what you’re reading!). I think if she had even done more of a “focus each chapter on a specific character’s point of view” format, that would have helped me have more of a personal feel to each person. I finished the book not really feeling much of a connection to any of the characters and really not feeling all that invested in the storyline. (I will say, it *did*prick my curiosity about POW camps during WWII….I plan to do some further research on that to learn more!)
Honestly, even though this wasn’t my most favorite historical fiction I’ve read, I will absolutely still be keeping my eye on this author in the future as I do find her extremely talented!
emmeline7's review against another edition
5.0
Magnificent!
I truly don't feel that anything I write will do this novel justice, so I'll just start there. Any concerns I had about the epistolary style were gone within the first few pages. Johanna intrigued me in the prologue, and after the first few letters I loved her, flaws and all. Very little of her story went the way I imagined it would, and I always love that. I would have like to see an epilogue months or a couple years down the road, but given the uncertainty of the times, I think the end was fitting. I suppose I just didn't want it to end. This was definitely one of the best books I've read this year, and has been added to the list of library books I've borrowed and now have to buy.
I truly don't feel that anything I write will do this novel justice, so I'll just start there. Any concerns I had about the epistolary style were gone within the first few pages. Johanna intrigued me in the prologue, and after the first few letters I loved her, flaws and all. Very little of her story went the way I imagined it would, and I always love that. I would have like to see an epilogue months or a couple years down the road, but given the uncertainty of the times, I think the end was fitting. I suppose I just didn't want it to end. This was definitely one of the best books I've read this year, and has been added to the list of library books I've borrowed and now have to buy.
kristensreadingnook's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
chrissyz's review against another edition
4.0
3.5* "Sometimes showing grace breaks us before it heals us. Forgiveness can feel like a betrayal of justice. We want others to deserve grace, or at least ask for it, even knowing full well that the greatest grace was extended to us when we were enemies"
If you like epistolary historical fiction based on real POW experiences during WW 2 with elements of faith, meaningful quotes and a strong female character, I recommend this one!
If you like epistolary historical fiction based on real POW experiences during WW 2 with elements of faith, meaningful quotes and a strong female character, I recommend this one!
randikaye's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
kriste's review against another edition
5.0
Epistolary, I didn't even know this term! I loved the German and Japanese aspects of this story as well as loved the heroine!