When translator Johanna is enlisted to work at a camp for German POWs, she reluctantly returns to her Midwestern hometown. As she gets to know the men and their charismatic spokesman, Stefan, she advocates for their better treatment---which angers the community. When the lines between compassion and treason blur, can she decide where her heart truly lies?
This was such a gripping story! From the starting point of a German POW camp in the heartland of America, meant to assist farmers who had sent their sons to war, to the epistolary format, it was a unique read and well done. Jo was a deeply complicated and unusual character, with her reluctance to come home, her gift for linguistics, and her American-Japanese penpal friend whose family was in a Japanese relocation camp. This was a setting I was completely unfamiliar with, but Ms. Green does an excellent job weaving the historical setting into her letters and giving the reader a complete picture of the era and her characters.
Things We Didn't Say was a debut novel by Amy Lynn Green, but I can't wait to see what she writes next! 5 stars to this beautiful novel.
You can find Things We Didn't Say HERE.
You can find the author's site HERE.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
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