Things Unsaid

by Diana Y. Paul

Genres: General Fiction; Coming of Age; Family Life

Synopsis

AWARDS:
Bookclub Favorite
Winner of New Adult Fiction—Beverly Hills Book Awards
Winner of the SILVER Medal for Best Fiction in Drama from Readers' Favorite
Finalist USA Best Books Awards in Literary Fiction and in New Fiction

“Under its skin, it is a lively, accessible meditation on redemption and the transformative value of good intention and deed.”
―Rebecca Coffey, author of Hysterical: Anna Freud's Story

“An outstanding book that is not only deeply honest, heartbreaking, and hopeful, but also brilliant, poignant, and original. It captures what is at the heart of all of us and showcases that life is what we make it. Brilliant, just brilliant! 5 stars.”
―Emily Lewis, Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews

Inspired by a true story about mothers, daughters, and impossible choices—Jules Foster, a child psychologist, upon hearing news of her estranged, narcissistic mother’s terminal diagnosis, chooses to care for her mother over her own daughter, only to find out she has been betrayed all along. Things Unsaid asks us to consider what children owe their aging parents and siblings.

Jules Foster is summoned to the local police station to retrieve her elderly parents, after her father has sideswiped a parked automobile. Her parents now rely heavily on her financial support, and Jules finds herself sacrificing her daughter Zoe's dreams for going to college in order to continue bankrolling them. Her husband, Mike, is forced to take sides. Joanne, her divorced younger sister, and Andrew, her brother, refuse to send their parents so much as a Christmas present. Now that their parents are incapable of caring for themselves, Jules, Andrew, and Joanne must decide where to draw the line between obligation and their own families.

Throughout Things Unsaid, Jules, Zoe, and Andrew are forced repeatedly to evaluate their personal priorities and avoid repeated misfirings of the heart. As they make impossible choices, they pull back the curtain to reveal deeply buried family secrets.

A powerful and courageous tale of family dysfunction and senior citizens, this bold and poignant debut novel presents deep insights into the messy and inevitably complicated world of family relationships, and shows how one woman is able to survive with her sanity and spirit intact. 

Release date: April 5, 2020

Publisher: She Writes Press

Print pages: 300