The Things We Cannot Say

If I could give a book more than 5 stars, I would. This was an amazing book blending together the two storylines of Alice and her complicated, modern day family and the second storyline of her Polish grandmother during WWII. Many books try to do more than one storyline and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. In the case of author Kelly Rimmer, I think she did a terrific job with both. The part of the story set in Poland during WWII is beautifully done; captivating and heartbreaking. I was fascinated by the story of Alice's grandmother, but my heart was also wide open to the trials and tribulations of Alice's life with her executive husband and their two children; one of whom was on the Autistic spectrum and the other who was academically gifted. It created a very busy and often chaotic family where Alice felt like she had to do everything. So when Alice's grandmother asks her to go to Poland for her, Alice is left with the choice of honouring her grandmother Helena's wishes or staying home where she feels she is essentially needed.

Ultimately I feel this is a story of the power of love; romantic love, the love of family and friendship, and the love of faith.