What’s Left Unsaid touched me deeply and kept me reading till deep into the night. It is beautifully written and a lot of care has gone into making each character truly come to life on the pages.
The novel takes us into the life of Sasha, wife to Jeremy and Mum to 17-year-old Zac, daughter of Annie and Joe. On the surface she seems to have it all, a lovely house, decent job and the most wonderful and loving dog Stanley (prepare to fall in love with him!). But all is not as it seems. Secrets and lies from the distant past are not only revealed but will have to be digested and dealt with.
The book is written from the perspective of three protagonists, Sasha, her mother Annie who suffers from Dementia and deceased father Joe. All characters are utterly relatable and finding out about their past helps us understand that people are never just good or bad, that there are reasons for every action. Joe says at one point that there are lies that do no harm; what I have taken away from this book is that whilst that is true for little things you should always have the courage to tell the truth about the big picture, otherwise those secrets will devour you from the inside out.
I cannot wait to read more by Deborah Stone - what a wonderful debut novel!
Alexandra Harper-Williams, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
This is a very enjoyable book with great characters that keeps you hooked with family drama and surprises.
Sasha is married to Jeremy and has a teenage son, Zac. Jeremy works away a lot, so Sasha is left managing the household, their son Zac, dog Stanley and also the care of her elderly mother who is gradually getting more confused and forgetful. During one of these visits to his Grandma, Zac manages to uncover a family secret that has been kept hidden for a number of years and questions Sasha about it. After initially denying it, the secrets tumble out and we also learn about other family secrets that have been kept buried.
The story is told from a number of different characters perspectives, across different times. This gives an added dimension to the book and makes you really identify with the characters and what makes them who they are.... Read Full Review
