The words I never wrote : a novel

Title:

Author:

Thynne, Jane, author.

Personal Author:

Thynne, Jane, author.

ISBN:

9781524796594

Edition:

First Edition.

Physical Description:

384 pages ; 25 cm

Abstract:

"New York, present day: On a whim, photographer Juno Lambert buys the 1931 Underwood typewriter that once belonged to celebrated journalist Cordelia Capel. Within its case she discovers an unpublished novel, igniting a transatlantic journey to fill the gaps in the story of Cordelia and her sister's loving yet tempestuous relationship. England, 1936: Cordelia's socialite sister, Irene, marries a German man from a powerful family who whisks her away to Berlin. Cordelia remains in England to pursue the writing career she cherishes, but in the male-dominated world of journalism, she can only get hired as a typist. The sisters exchange letters as politics begin to boil in Europe and tensions come to a head when Cordelia discovers Irene's husband is a Nazi sympathizer. Does that make Irene one by proxy? With increasing desperation, Cordelia writes to Irene, seeking to understand her loyalties. But the sisters' letters don't tell the whole story. So Cordelia decides to fill in the blanks by sitting down with her Underwood and--finally--writing the truth. When Juno discovers the trove of letters the two exchanged, a vivid portrait of Berlin in the devastating years during and after the war comes into focus. In this moving novel, Jane Thynne offers an intimate glimpse into a lesser known side of World War II"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Letters -- Fiction.

Sisters -- Fiction.

Typewriters -- Fiction.

Women journalists -- Fiction.

Women photographers -- Fiction.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Berlin (Germany) -- Fiction.

Genre:

War fiction.

War stories.

Summary:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Ginter Park	Book	FICTION THYNNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Main Library	Book	FICTION THYNNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Main Library	Book	FICTION THYNNE	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

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

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

Two English sisters become estranged during the Second World War while, in present-day New York, a photographer pursues the dramatic story behind their rift.When Juno Lambert buys a vintage typewriter previously owned by esteemed newswoman Cordelia Capel, she finds an unfinished manuscript inside. Intrigued, Juno reads the novel (or is it a memoir?) and resolves to uncover what happened between Cordelia and her older sister, Irene. The chronicle begins in 1936, when Irene marries a German industrialist and moves to Berlin. At first, Irene is entranced by her handsome husband and the glamorous life they lead. Soon, though, she develops misgivings about him and his attachment to Nazi bigwigs. Cordelia, meanwhile, lands a job at a Paris newspaper and falls for the bureau chief, who leaves her, and his job, to fight Franco in Spain. The sisters correspond at first, but Cordelia becomes disillusioned with her sister's sunny reportsunaware that Irene is not free to write what she wishes. Cordelia eventually returns to England to train as a spy while Irene's life in the war-ravaged German capital deterioratesthough she too finds a way to undermine the Nazi effort. The book begins awkwardly, and the many hairpin plot turns are a little dizzying. It also covers some familiar turfauthor Thynne (Solitaire, 2016, etc.) herself has written books with a similar settingand flirts with melodrama. But this is a satisfying book, filled with vivid historical detail and surprisingly nuanced characters. It effortlessly integrates real-life figures, including the notorious double agent Kim Philby, who plays a small but pivotal role, and Martha Dodd, daughter of America's ambassador to Germany, who befriends Irene.An engrossing, suspenseful page-turner that defies expectations. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.