The Things We Cannot Say

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.

3. Discuss how real history feels to you. Do you find that history feels abstract, or are you able to vividly imagine yourself in your ancestors’ shoes? What are some of the factors that make history feel this way to you?

4. How did you relate to Rimmer’s depiction of contemporary family life? Are there characters that resonated with you specifically, like Alice or Wade? Discuss their perspectives in depth to explain your affinity for these characters.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel engages with the historical struggles of Jewish people during the Holocaust. Compare and contrast how this novel handles this topic to titles such as The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. How do these titles collectively paint a picture of the era?

2. The novel considers the challenges of contemporary family dynamics. How does the juxtaposition of the novel’s two main storylines help to resolve these challenges? What real-world solutions does this imply?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the symbolic role that names play in the novel, especially in light of its interest in language and communication. What does a name really mean? How does Alice engage with the meaning of names in her narrative?

2. Compare and contrast Tomasz and Wade. How does the novel draw connections between their respective concerns and the ways they respond to the actions of the protagonists?

3. What are some of the stylistic techniques Rimmer uses to differentiate the two narratives? Consider the way she approaches sentence structure and word choice

4. Discuss the symbolism behind Alice’s visit to the grave of Tomasz. How does this develop the novel’s themes of hope and resilience?