What I Would Tell You by
Liz Tolsma
My rating: 💛💛💛💛💛
“We can’t be frightened to live our lives. If we are, that’s not really living.”Liz Tolsma delivered a beautiful, heart moving WW2 story. From the first sentence which was a part of a journal entry:
This is the day I dreaded, the day I feared might come, the day I prayed never would., my attention and heart was pulled it and didn't let go.
Mathilda's story was so good. I loved each second I was pulled into her heartbreaking journey through WW2 and if you are a reader needed tissues with emotional stories, you need a box next to you. The way the author started each chapter with a journal entry POV played a huge part in my connection with Mathilda's story.
We have to decide if we will take what we have been taught and make it our own, if the faith of our fathers will be our faith also.Though the modern day story about Tessa and her search of where she came from was just as interesting, I did not find it as strong as Mathilda's. Though a lot of the truths I will take away from this story I discovered in the modern day story.
Giannis told me that we find our identity not in the blood that flows through our veins but in Christ.If you enjoy WW2 stories, do not pass on this one.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*
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About the book:
Determined to resist the invading Nazis, a Greek Jewish woman's greatest dream has become her worst nightmare, and now she faces an impossible choice whose consequences echo across the generations.
1941—The pounding of Nazi boots on the streets of Salonika, Greece, reverberates in Mathilda Nissim’s ears, shaking her large community of Sephardic Jews to its core and altering her life forever. If only her people would rise up and resist their captors. At great risk to herself and those around her, she uses the small newspaper she publishes to call them to action, all to no avail. Her husband encourages her to trust God to watch over them, but God has once again deserted His people. Amid the chaos, Mathilda discovers she’s expecting a longed-for child. Still, nothing stops the occupiers’ noose from tightening around their necks, and she may have to resort to desperate measures to ensure her daughter’s survival.
2019—College student Tessa Payton and her cousin take a popular DNA heritage test only to discover they don’t share any common ancestors. In fact, the test reveals Tessa is a Greek Sephardic Jew. This revelation threatens her tenuous faith. Always the overlooked child in her family, she empties her savings account and jets off on a journey to Greece to discover where she belongs and which God demands her allegiance. The enchanting curator at the Jewish museum guides her as she navigates life in Thessaloniki, helps with her genealogical research, and loans her a fascinating journal written by a Jewish woman during WWII. Tessa’s search, however, may open old wounds and uncover long-hidden secrets that could fracture her family forever and leave her with more questions than when she started.
Based in part on true accounts of Jews in Salonika, Greece, What I Would Tell You traces two women’s journeys, delving into what faith looks like and where it leads us as they navigate difficult circumstances and impossible choices that have ripple effects across the years.
Split time fiction: WWII and 2019
Stand-alone novel
Approximate book length: 91,000 words
Includes author’s notes
About the author:
Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her
husband, their son, and their two daughters. All of their children have been adopted internationally and one has special needs. Her novella, Under His Wings, appeared in the New York Times bestselling collection, A Log Cabin Christmas. Her debut novel, Snow on the Tulips, released in August of 2013. Daisies Are Forever released in May 2014. When not busy putting words to paper, she enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family. Please visit her blog at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@LizTolsma). She is also a regular contributor to the Barn Door blog.
