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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good writing, character development, & plot. Time to curl up with this good book!, June 5, 2009
I don't often take the time to read novels these days, but when my friend Eva Marie Everson wrote Things Left Unspoken, I had to read it. Reading a novel is a guilty pleasure for me, and if I take the time to read, I want it to be good.
Things Left Unspoken did not disappoint. Each chapter pulled me into the next. I found myself living the life of Jo-Lynn as she struggled with her own now-empty marriage, and found the perfect work project to buy her time while she sorted through her thoughts and feelings. Marriage is often hard, and many women will identify with this angst. I am so committed to the sanctity of marriage, but I didn't want to see any superficial treatment here.
And I didn't. There was depth of character throughout, and twists and turns of plot to keep me guessing right to the end.
I'm going to recommend this to my friends. And I am already looking forward to Eva Marie's next novel!
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read; an unforgettable story, August 15, 2009
I (Karen T. Fahel, Leigh's wife) just finished this book. I LOVED it! It's really hard to describe. It's not a mystery, although there are mysteries and questions that needed solving. It's not a "chick book", but does have a couple of great love stories within it. It's not a crime drama, but it does have criminals and police. It is just a great book with colorful southern characters, emotion, humor, excitement, characters that you can actually care about...and a solid storyline to boot (not to mention a FASCINATING back-story that is unforgettable).
I'll try to describe the storyline without giving too much away. Jo-Lynn Hunter, a married, childless woman in her 50s, is hired to renovate her great-aunt's home, in a large project to renovate her childhood hometown into a combination of tourist area and wholesome place to live. In the process, she faces the problems with her husband, her family, and secrets from the past.
The characters really come alive in this book; after a while, you really feel like you know them personally. The descriptions are so vivid that you feel like you're sitting right with them; you can feel the dust in the attic, the cushions on the couch, the chill in the air. In a scene in a teahouse, I could almost hear the clinking of silverware on china and murmurs of conversation around "our" table.
Not only would I recommend this book highly, I am looking forward to a re-read!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Learning Secrets of the Past and Treasures for the Future, May 19, 2009
Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson is three hundred and eighty-one pages of pure Southern delight. The novel allows the reader to adventure through life, romance, true love, wisdom gained with age and life experiences, dealing with life's curve balls, conflicts of love and life, heartaches that make us stronger, and God's fingerprints on our lives to make us the people He wants us to become. If you enjoy Southern fiction, you'll love this novel. I devoured it in a couple of days.
Jo Lynn Hunter and her Aunt Stella make it women's fiction. Jo Lyn deals with current marriage problems and feels she's not at home in the life her husband has chosen for them. Something is missing and leaves her feeling empty inside. At life's crossroads, she takes on a project to rebuild an old Southern family home and finds herself restored in the process. Family secrets reveal their ugly challenges and place Jo Lynn in extreme danger. She rises to the challenge and refuses to be chased from her project of love.
Aunt Stella illustrates true love and the wisdom of ripe old age. Valentine, her teenage love, grows into a wise elderly man, who declares if the foundation is strong, anything can be rebuilt. Jo Lynn learns the secrets of the past and the treasures for a happy future, even as she learns some things are best left unspoken.
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