A review by kenzieburns
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A thoughtful WWII story with emotion, love, intrigue, and relevance. I was kind of annoyed by the character of Alina for a good portion of the book, though. She was so naive and spoiled in the beginning,
it was hard to reconcile her with the strong image Alice painted of Hanna.
I was also very frustrated by Wade and Alice's relationship for a good portion of the book. At first, I was completely on Alice's side, but as the novel progresses I could see more and more where Wade was coming from. I was also annoyed at Alice sometimes, for not both pursuing her passions and being a great mom. Her character almost felt like a step backwards in feminist writing at times, but I also have no experience with having children or an autistic child, so I am probably underestimating how much work it is and how hard it would be to have a career. But I think having complex and not-always-likable characters is something that makes a good book great. 

There were definitely some really tragic and horrific parts of this book, so readers be aware that it got very dark at times, but it's to be expected given the subject matter. Unfortunately, there were also so many things that were still relevant today, given the current US political climate. One portion at the end really stuck with me; as Alina is asking about the Jews in America wondering if it will be safe for Saul, and the judge mentions that "there are small issues, but nothing like your country's horrors". Alina says how naive he is, and reflects on how it started small in Poland and ended with hundreds of thousands of Poles marched into furnaces and dumped in the river. Very poignant imagery given the current rhetoric.
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