Review of What I Would Tell You

Liz Tolsma’s latest release, What I Would Tell You, is a dual-timeline novel, which seems to be fairly popular these days—set in the present, but also around the time of the Holocaust.

In the present, Tessa Payton, a college student, is shocked to learn the results of her genetic test are vastly different from her cousin’s results. From this test, Tessa discovers she is part Sephardic Jew. After learning this, Tessa decides to drop out of college and go to Greece to discover her heritage, much to the disappointment of her stepfather and mother. When Tessa confronts her mother about her lineage, the woman seems to be holding something back.

While Tessa is in Greece, a young man named Giannis gives her a copy of a diary of a woman named Mathilda. In the earlier timeline, readers get to meet Mathilda Nissim, a young woman married without children. In her village, she produces a newspaper that speaks out against the Germans who are now occupying her area. As she continues to produce the newspaper, she risks putting herself, her husband, and her community in danger. The two stories develop until they inevitably overlap.

What I liked about this story was how Tolsma drew upon her personal experience from her visit to Greece. Readers will notice this because of the level of detail the author has included. Also, I like how Tolsma wove various unresolved threads throughout the story, which added to the mystery, and kept me turning the pages. While I wouldn’t say romance is the main thread of the story, it is present in the love stories between Mathilda and her husband, but also between Tessa and Giannis. Finally, I appreciated the strong faith-based elements within the story. They felt organic and not forced. 

This story should appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction, romance, or mysteries/suspense.

*Please note that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

**If you enjoy this book and are looking for another suspenseful tale by Liz Tolsma, try The Green Dress. Incidentally, it was the first book in the True Colors (true crime) series that I picked up and happened to read. I enjoyed it, and I went on to read the entire series.