Things Left Unspoken: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Eva Marie Everson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Jo-Lynn Hunter is at a crossroads in life when her great-aunt Stella insists that she return home to restore the old family house in sleepy Cottonwood, Georgia. Seeing the project as the perfect excuse for some therapeutic time away from her self-absorbed husband and his snobby Atlanta friends, Jo-Lynn longs to get her teeth into a noteworthy and satisfying project. But things are not what they seem, both in the house and within the complex history of her family. Was her great-grandfather the pillar of the community she thought he was? What is Aunt Stella hiding? And will Jo-Lynn's marriage survive the renovation? Jo-Lynn isn't sure she wants to know the truth--but sometimes the truth has a way of making itself known.



The past comes alive in this well-written and thoughtful novel full of secrets, drama, and family with a hint of Southern drawl.

From the Back Cover

Every family--and every house--has its secrets. Jo-Lynn Hunter is at a crossroads in life when her great-aunt Stella insists that she return home to restore the old family manse in sleepy Cottonwood, Georgia. Jo-Lynn longs to get her teeth into a noteworthy and satisfying project. And it's the perfect excuse for some therapeutic time away from her husband. Beneath the dust and the peeling wallpaper, things are not what they seem, and what Jo-Lynn doesn't know about her family holds just as many surprises. Was her great-grandfather the pillar of the community she thought he was? What is Aunt Stella hiding? And will her own marriage survive the renovation? Jo-Lynn isn't sure she wants to know the truth--but sometimes the truth has a way of making itself known. "A lovely and deeply moving story. I didn't just read this story, I lived it!"--Ann Tatlock, award-winning author of The Returning "Eva Marie takes her readers on a delightful ride of rediscovery, remodeling, and re-evaluating."--Denise Hildreth, author of the Savannah series, Flies on the Butter, and The Will of Wisteria Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a popular radio personality. She is coauthor of the Potluck Club series and the Potluck Catering Club series. Things Left Unspoken was inspired by her own Southern family history.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2433 KB
• Print Length: 382 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800732731
• Publisher: Revell; Original edition (June 1, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00295MIYU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,639 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I was born and reared just outside of Savannah, Georgia. Yeah, I have a southern accent. It gets a little more southern every time I cross the Florida/Georgia state line.

If I had all the time in the world, I'd probably lie on the sofa all day and watch old movies. I usually have to get sick for something even close to that happening.

I can quote entirely too many lines from Pretty Woman (You do? You think I've got potential?). In fact, I quote lines from movies and songs so often that most people are unaware of what I'm doing. I may or may not have offended some folks. If I have...I'm sorry.

I'm an ex-nurse and a seminary graduate. I hated nursing but love God with a passion and can hardly get through a conversation without talking about our relationship! I think the Old Testament is totally FUN to read (I mean, HOW much stuff can one clan of people get in to?) and the New Testament draws me closer to Heaven. Yeah!

I'm married even though my hubby had to have his wedding band cut off due to an infected spider bite. The nurse said either that or the finger would fall off. I was going for the second option, but was alone in that. :) Now he wears it on his right hand. I can live with that. We have kids and grandkids and two absolutely adorable dogs, Hope and Poodar.

I'm rarely still and I sleep very little.

Life is good.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 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

By 

Cindy Mallin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things Left Unspoken: A Novel (Paperback)

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!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read; an unforgettable story, August 15, 2009

By 

Leigh H. Fahel "Snowy" (Manchester) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things Left Unspoken: A Novel (Paperback)

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!

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

By 

Scott Robinson "Barbara J. Robinson, Writer a... (Tropical Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things Left Unspoken: A Novel (Paperback)

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.