Interview with Amy Lynn Green Author of Things We Didn’t Say 

Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green is a beautiful debut novel written in epistolary style. It touched my heart from the very first page. Set in Minnesota during WWII, the story unfolds through handwritten letters, telegrams, court documents, and newspaper articles.

Through letters, the characters’ personalities and views come to life, and one can’t help but be transported back to much simpler times. 

The characters are witty, and I laughed out loud through much of the book. One wouldn’t think this possible about a POW camp in the midst of war, but humor is what made this story so unique and captivating. 

The author breathes humanity into her characters, even the enemies. The cultural differences in the characters gave this story another layer of depth that intrigued me. 

Jo, the main character, is strong, brilliant, and has a big heart, even though at times she’s misunderstood. She puts up a wall to romance, believing a few men want to be with her for the wrong reasons. Will this view impede her own happily ever after? I’m not telling! 

Family, friendships, love and loss—this novel has it all.

A warm welcome to Amy Lynn Green. 

What was the inspiration for your book?

I’ve always known I wanted to write a book written entirely in letters and other documents.  When I was researching Minnesota’s history, I found out that there were over a dozen German prisoner of war camps scattered throughout the state during WWII. Then I found out that just a few miles from where I lived, there was a secret Japanese school to train translators and spies. Well, those two fun facts just couldn’t go to waste, and the true story of Minnesota’s history sparked my fictional characters: Johanna Berglund and Peter Ito.

What research did you do to write this book?

I started out with dozens of books, both on POW camps in the United States and collections of WWII letters to get a feel for the vocabulary and style of letters from that time. But then Jerry Yocum from the Prisoner of War Museum in Algona, Iowa, made it easy by giving me a tour of the displays (including books of POW letters), then handing me a flash drive of research gold: hundreds of newspaper articles, maps, menus—everything he had on the POW camps in Minnesota. Those primary source documents were so helpful.

What were the challenges you experienced while writing this novel?

It was hard at first to write about the students at the top-secret Japanese language run by the Army and based in Minnesota, as seen in my character Peter Ito. Not because there wasn’t any research material, but because I wanted to represent the Japanese-American students and teachers accurately. The questions they struggled with as they served a country that wasn’t honoring their rights as citizens were complex, and I came to deeply admire their sacrifice.

There were also a few secrets, especially toward the end, that were harder to reveal in letter form. That’s one of the tricky things about epistolary novels! You have to trust the readers to fill in some of those details and solve the mystery along with you.

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Peter has to be my favorite main character—his courage balanced with gentleness and faithful friendship puts him at the top of that list for life. But Cornelia Knutson, the eccentric town matriarch, probably takes the award for my favorite secondary character of the novel.

Was there anything significant that you ended up editing out of your novel?

Nothing significant, but there was a fun letter from the major’s overbearing socialite wife listing all of the steps that go into proper party planning for the dance at the end of the book. It was hilarious to write, full of fussing and snobbery, but it had no relevance to the plot, so I cut the whole thing.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

There are so many emotions, questions, and conflicts of the 1940s that are still relevant today. In Things We Didn’t Say, the characters wonder what it looks like to love their neighbor, have to fight to find genuine community in a lonely world, struggle to have faith in a world torn apart by war, and face the ugly realities of prejudice. I hope readers enjoy the characters most of all, but that those themes make the story leap off the page to them. And if it inspires some readers to write a letter or two to someone they love, I wouldn’t complain!

Will you write in epistolary style again?

My September 2021 novel, The Lines Between Us, has a prologue, epilogue, and a few in-between chapters written in letters, but because that one has a strong mystery plot, it wasn’t the kind of story that lent itself to being told entirely in letters, so most of it is in more traditional narration. I love both styles, so who knows what I’ll try in the future!

Do you have a writing method e.g. setting goals for time to write and how…do you outline? Do you write in order or as ideas come to you? 

My style is…barely-managed chaos. Nobody’s teaching a class on this at a writing conference. I have a vague idea of the plot and characters before jumping in, but mostly, I type out words like a madwoman, often out of order…and commit to spending a lot of time re-writing, because so much changes along the way. Character names. Dramatic reveals that I need to foreshadow. Entire subplots I added halfway through. It’s part of the adventure!

As far as routines, currently, I have a playlist that I only listen to while writing my novel, and I also burn a particular candle (though I’ll have to switch soon, since it’s almost out!). That helps me get in the mood for writing.

Did you set out to write in this particular genre or creatively fall into it?

I’ve always loved history and historical fiction, so it was a perfect fit, and the 1940s was the place I wanted to start. There are just so many strong and relevant conflicts, and I love that I can listen to audio or video interviews with eyewitnesses. Since there isn’t as much out there set on the United States home front, that gave me a fresh angle on a popular time period.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I’ve been writing for fun for nearly as long as I can remember—although my childhood stories are so bad that they’re laughable (and don’t even get me started on the illustrations). I have lots of fragments of novels from my teen years on, but we’ll just count the four-and-a-half completed historical novels in my drawer that I used as “practice books.” They may never see the light of day, but what I learned from them, I applied to Things We Didn’t Say.

Do you have an idea already taking shape for your next book? 

My next project, The Lines Between Us will be releasing in September 2021, and I can’t wait for readers to meet my next set of characters. Gordon Hooper fights wildfires on the home front as a smokejumper rather than enlist in the military against his beliefs. Meanwhile, his former sweetheart, Dorie Armitage, joins the Army Corps. A suspicious accident forces them to work together to solve a mystery, uncovering some shocking secrets along the way.

I’m also getting started on a novel that will release in 2022, but that one is mostly secret yet. Watch my Instagram for hints at the storyline over the next year!

What is your favorite part about engaging with readers to promote your books?

So many things! I love the lively bookstagram community (even if it lengthens my TBR), and I’ve also enjoyed the many Zoom chats with book clubs and library groups. Engaging with other book lovers never fails to brighten my day and give me energy for the more solitary work of pounding out the next book. So, if you wonder if you should DM me (or other authors) on Instagram, reply to a newsletter, or tag them in a glowing review—do it! It’s a guaranteed day-maker.

How can readers discover more about you and your work? 

I send out an email newsletter every other month with bookish fun—my May one will feature a 1940s craft project, book news, and my four favorite Hobbit-like vacation spots (I’ll explain, I promise). You can join that by signing up at amygreenbooks.com—I’d love to stay in touch. You can also find me on Facebook or Instagram.

About Amy Lynn Green

Amy is a publicist by day and a writer on nights and weekends. She was the 2014 winner of the Family Fiction short story contest, and dozens of her nonfiction articles have been featured in faith-based publications over the past ten years. Things We Didn’t Say is her first novel. 

Visit Amy Lynn Green’s Website.

Order Things We Didn’t Say. 

Annie Cathryn is in the process of editing her debut novel. She has a degree in journalism and master’s in communications from Marquette University. For eleven years, she worked in corporate marketing for a Fortune 500 company before starting a marketing consulting agency. She lives with her husband and daughter outside of Chicago. Connect with her on Instagram, she’d love to hear from you. 

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