The Things We Cannot Say

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of religious discrimination, racism, and death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How do you feel about the novel’s split structure? Did you prefer one storyline over the other, or did you feel that Rimmer was able to balance the two stories across the whole narrative?

2. How did you feel about the resolution of the novel’s mystery? Were you satisfied by the truth about Tomasz and Saul?

3. Rimmer has written other novels set in World War II, including The Paris Agent. What are the key characteristics of her writing that set her apart from other novelists in the genre?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How do you engage with members of other generations within your family? Do you maintain a close relationship with them, or do you find that your dynamics are distant? What do you attribute this closeness or distance to?

2. Have you ever gone the extra mile to protect someone else’s secret? Without necessarily revealing that secret, discuss how that effort made you feel and whether you were able to maintain the secrecy.