Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green
I met Amy Green when I was attending CFRR (Christian Fiction Readers Retreat) some years ago, and right away I could tell she is a very smart young lady! So of course, when her fiction debut came out (the same year as mine too!) I snatched it up. And I was blown away.
MY REVIEW
This is one of those books that you need to clear your schedule for. Once you start reading, you will NOT want to put it down. I lost a few hours sleep over this, you know, one-more-chapter syndrome. Except with this book it’s, “one more letter” . This book is an epistolary (letters) story and the title could not be more perfect.
My nerves! Near the end of the book I just could not read fast enough to see how it turned out! And oh, my goodness. Amy Lynn Green has me worrying about these characters. I almost forgot they were fictional.
Aside from a really great story, I learned so much about this era and the struggles people were going through at the time. I think this book is more relevant now than ever, given the state of our world. Grab a giant mug, turn off your phone, chase away all distractions and enjoy this witty and brilliantly executed debut!
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Headstrong Johanna Berglund, a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, has very definite plans for her future . . . plans that do not include returning to her hometown and the secrets and heartaches she left behind there. But the US Army wants her to work as a translator at a nearby camp for German POWs.
Johanna arrives to find the once-sleepy town exploding with hostility. Most patriotic citizens want nothing to do with German soldiers laboring in their fields, and they’re not afraid to criticize those who work at the camp as well. When Johanna describes the trouble to her friend Peter Ito, a language instructor at a school for military intelligence officers, he encourages her to give the town that rejected her a second chance.
As Johanna interacts with the men of the camp and censors their letters home, she begins to see the prisoners in a more sympathetic light. But advocating for better treatment makes her enemies in the community, especially when charismatic German spokesman Stefan Werner begins to show interest in Johanna and her work. The longer Johanna wages her home-front battle, the more the lines between compassion and treason become blurred–and it’s no longer clear whom she can trust.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel, based on the WWII home front of Minnesota, the state where she lives, works, and survives long winters. Because of her day job in publicity, she has taught classes on marketing at writer’s conferences and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys. In her novels (and her daily life), she loves exploring the intersection of faith and fiction and searches for answers to present-day questions by looking to the past.
If she had lived in the 1940s, you would have found her writing long letters to friends and family, listening to jazz music, daydreaming about creating an original radio drama, and drinking copious amounts of non-rationed tea. (Actually, these things are fairly accurate for her modern life as well.)
Melony Teague writes contemporary romance with a dash of humor, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words, and she believes everyone has a story to tell. Melony is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and The Word Guild. She is the co-author of As the Ink Flows, a devotional for authors. Her fiction debut, A Promise to Keep released, Jan 21, 2020. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in Toronto with her handsome husband, their two teenagers, and does the bidding of her two adorable cats.
Available Now!
“A delightful romance sure to please anyone looking for a story about second chances, grace, and hope. This one has all the right ingredients!”
—Catherine West, award-winning author of Where Hope Begins
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One Comment
Crystal
I did read this book and it was excellent. Hated to put it down.