The Words I Never Wrote

By Jane Thynne

Book Overview

A chance discovery inside a vintage typewriter case reveals the gripping story of two sisters on opposite sides of World War II in this captivating novel for readers of Lilac Girls and The Women in the Castle.

"Spins a captivating tale of two young English women--sisters caught on two opposing sides of the war."--Associated Press

New York, present day: On a whim, Juno Lambert buys a 1931 Underwood typewriter that once belonged to celebrated journalist Cordelia Capel. Within its case she discovers an unfinished novel, igniting a transatlantic journey to fill the gaps in the story of Cordelia and her sister and the secret that lies between them.

Europe, 1936: Cordelia's socialite sister Irene marries a German industrialist who whisks her away to Berlin. Cordelia, feistier and more intellectual than Irene, gets a job at a newspaper in Paris, pursuing the journalism career she cherishes. As politics begin to boil in Europe, the sisters exchange letters and Cordelia discovers that Irene's husband is a Nazi sympathizer. With increasing desperation, Cordelia writes to her beloved sister, but as life in Nazi Germany darkens, Irene no longer dares admit what her existence is truly like. Knowing that their letters cannot tell the whole story, Cordelia decides to fill in the blanks by sitting down with her Underwood and writing the truth.

When Juno reads the unfinished novel, she resolves to uncover the secret that continued to divide the sisters amid the turmoil of love, espionage, and war. In this vivid portrait of Nazi Berlin, from its high society to its devastating fall, Jane Thynne examines the truths we sometimes dare not tell ourselves.

Advance praise for The Words I Never Wrote

"In sumptuous prose, Jane Thynne limns the lives of two sisters ripped apart by the moral choices they made in a time of war. Dramatic, fast-paced, and emotional, The Words I Never Wrote puts the interior details of women's lives in stark relief against the dramatic backdrop of Europe in World War II, helping readers understand the difficult choices that women made."--Elizabeth Letts, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Horse

"Haunting, taut, and compelling, this portrait of two upper-class British sisters divided by World War II is a kaleidoscopic story of love and betrayal whose characters are never quite what they seem. It will capture your attention immediately and keep you thinking for a long time to come."--Lynne Olson, author of Madame Fourcade's Secret War

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 152479659X
• ISBN13: 9781524796594
• Release Date: January 2020
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

WW ll Historical/ Fiction

OMG !!!! LOVE THIS BOOK !!! Can't say enough about this Story ! Don't Even Know where to begin! A very powerful Story of two sisters who are thick as Thieves, but are divided by the war, when one of them marries a German Industrialist before the war starts. She is whisked away to live with him in Berlin, as a starry eyed new Bride and Groom, believing They will live a happy ever after life. Hitler becomes more powerful, and things start to change, as she notices a difference in her husband, wanting to be around as many High Ranking Influential Commanders, and becoming more politically involved then he was before they married. As they attend very Lavish Parties of The Nazi Officers, and the Headmen to Hitler, Irene is becoming aware of his involvement more and more and she is getting more resentful of the Political Air, and what is expected of her. As She Corresponds with her sister Cordelia, her sister is shocked at the life she's living and the attitude she's taking about the current events, and atrocities That Hitler's Regime is starting to inflict on the people in Berlin ! Cordelia has no idea, that Irene had NO choice but to follow the life her huband has now thrown her into, and can't EVEN communicate anything in letters to her, because EVERYTHING, she writes, says, does, goes to and talks with, is scrunitzed by the Gestapo. The sisters stop talking for years, the war breaks out...and BOTH their lives are changed forever during and after the war. There is SO MUCH depth and so much more story and detail, than I could ever begin to tell here !! Its Beautiful and Heartbreaking, Captivating, Mesmerizing, You will be hooked from page one !!! I have Nothing but Praise for this Amazing Author and the stories she writes ! Fans of WWll Historical Fictional/ love story will absolutely live this book ! If I COULD I would give it 10 STARS !!!!