What I Would Tell You

January 1, 2023

by Tolsma (Author), Liz (Author)

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

Marilyn's thoughts:   What I Would Tell You is a compelling WWII historical tale surrounding the evil and hatred by the Germans to the Sephardic Jews in Salonika, Greece. The dual timeline characters are well developed.  Mathilda living during the invasion and Riley discovering she was related to the Sephardic Jews that no one talked about.

Themes of bravery, forgiveness, family especially mothers protecting their children of the evil and faith are gently weaved in. My hurt broke for all the innocent lives lost so horrendous during the invasion and even today on how Jews are perceived by others.

 

Liz Tolzma love for history shines through the story with her research of the past and happenings in the present against Jews. I highly recommend this heartfelt and touching story to fans of WWII history and others who enjoy reading about less known historical events during this era.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing without any obligation to write a positive review. I have shared my own thoughts.

What I Would Tell You is a compelling WWII historical tale surrounding the evil and hatred by the Germans to the Sephardic Jews in Salonika, Greece. The dual timeline characters are well developed.  Mathilda living during the invasion and Riley discovering she was related to the Sephardic Jews that no one talked about.

Themes of bravery, forgiveness, family especially mothers protecting their children of the evil and faith are gently weaved in. My hurt broke for all the innocent lives lost so horrendous during the invasion and even today on how Jews are perceived by others.

 

Liz Tolzma love for history shines through the story with her research of the past and happenings in the present against Jews. I highly recommend this heartfelt and touching story to fans of WWII history and others who enjoy reading about less known historical events during this era.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing without any obligation to write a positive review. I have shared my own thoughts.