~October's Pick~

Happy November! Is anybody else feeling like it's almost time to start making a Christmas TBR list? I know this year I'd like to read a few Christmas themed novels to go along with my Christmas festivities!

Before I get too ahead of myself, let's head into October's pick. This month, I've chosen Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green.

Last month, I read my very first epistolary novel. When I picked up Things We Didn't Say, I was ecstatic to see that it was also an epistolary novel. Two in a row! I think it's pretty safe to say I'm a fan of epistolaries now. :)

Things We Didn't Say takes place during WW2 in Minnesota. It's the first novel that I've read that covers the topic of POWs (prisoners of war) in America. It was incredibly fascinating to learn more about their treatment and experiences waiting out the war in enemy territory. Something that I've now expanded my knowledge about, learning more about the Geneva Convention and its applications throughout the war. If you want an interesting research topic, google if there were any POW camps near where you live. You'd be surprised to find how many there were in North America.

Now, a little bit about the book. Johanna Berglund is passionate about linguistics. Fluent in many different languages, she has her whole life planned out, including graduating from University and moving on to Oxford to further her studies. When she gets asked to move back to her hometown to work as a translator at a newly opening German POW camp, she barely considers the offer before turning it down. After a few unfortunate events, she finds herself travelling back to the town she'd sworn never to live in again and begins working at the camp, translating for the German prisoners. But the job isn't as easy as it seems, especially when the town strongly opposes the POW camp and it's citizens are increasingly suspicious of Johanna's supposed relationships with the "enemy".

This book was so incredibly good! Engaging, thrilling, and educational, it forces you to take a step into the lives of the people who lived so close to the enemy. The relationships, the letters, the town, everything was so perfectly incorporated. And the character growth was so beautiful and touching. The mystery of it all kept me on my toes, and once everything was solved and finished I felt like I needed to re-read the whole thing just to find all the hidden clues.

Touching, honest, and sweet, I will definitely be re-reading Things We Didn't Say, and would highly recommend it!