Unexpected Family Roots
This is a dual time story. One story takes place during WWII. Mathilda and her husband, Asher, live in Greece, and they are Sephardic Jews. For a while, Mathilda has been writing and printing an underground Jewish newspaper. But when her husband hears the German soldiers are on their way to take over their homeland, Asher begs Mathilda to give up her paper. She refuses.
Almost immediately, all the horrible things they have heard about the Germans start taking place. Despite the danger, and that Mathilda learns that she is pregnant, she continues putting out her newspaper. She even goes out and distributes it when she is done. Were it not for her gentile friend, Ioanna, the family would not have lasted long, but will they survive the war?
The second story takes place during modern day with a college student named Tessa. After her father died, her mother remarried. Ever since, Tessa has felt like a second-class person. When she takes a DNA test that tells her ancestry, she is shocked that she is part Sephardic Jew.
She withdraws all her college money and goes to Greece to find out the mystery of her heritage. While there, she works with a museum employee who is very helpful. The two of them hit it off immediately.
Will learning Tessa’s history give her peace of mind?
I could never connect with Mathilda. I felt she was a stubborn, foolish woman that put both her family and herself at risk. Also, I didn’t understand how the pass off with Ioanna could have been done successfully. I appreciate Ioanna trying to witness to Mathilda.
This three-star book will appeal to fans of WWII stories, and those interested in their family background.
Thank you, Barbour Books, for providing Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, “What I Would Tell You”, for the purpose of review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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