The Words We Whisper

By: Mary Ellen Taylor

Narrated by: Shannon McManus, Carlotta Brentan, Tim Campbell

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of Honeysuckle Season comes a sweeping saga that interweaves the past and present in an epic tapestry of love, war, and loss.

As a hospice nurse, Zara Mitchell has already seen more death than most people will experience in a lifetime. So when her older sister asks her to help care for their ailing grandmother, Zara agrees - despite strained family relationships.

Though pale and tired, Nonna has lost none of her sharp mind. She’s fixated on finding something long forgotten, and she immediately puts Zara to work cleaning out the attic. Unexpectedly, amid the tedium of sifting through knickknacks and heirlooms, Zara also reconnects with a man she’s attracted to but whose complicated past makes romance seem impossible.

But then Zara finds what Nonna was looking for: a wooden chest, an emerald broach, a leather-bound journal. As she immerses herself in stories of heroism and loss set against the backdrop of war-torn Italy in 1943, Zara finds answers to questions she didn’t know she had. And they change everything she thinks she knows about love, regret, and seizing the day.

©2021 Mary Burton. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Fantastic

Enjoyed this book immensely. Such an interesting story and great narration! Highly recommend. Takes place in Rome during the Nazi occupation.

Loved it!

I enjoyed the time traveling back and forth between characters as their stories got closer together. The ending was not what I expected but speculated the possibility. Satisfying from beginning to end.

Thankful to be an American

When you think of all the hardship that these people went through in the war and have people protest against the United States for sure I am thankful to be in American and I hope that god blesses us all the time

Powerful

This book was not at all what I thought it’d be, but better. This seemed like so many I’ve attempted to read before, but went a step further. I was drawn into the character’s worlds, which made it all the more moving. So I knew the context before, but was shocked by the actual story. This author is a master storyteller and does not disappoint with any of her works!

Good story and narration.

An interesting book about the courageous life a woman in Rome lived during WW2. She kept her secret from her granddaughters until she was 97 years old and dying. I would recommend it.

Intrigue Meets Compassion

The multiple time lines in this novel are easy to follow, and the story lines are congruent. Excellent narrators make each character easy to identify, and the conclusion was wonderfully surprising! This was a book I hated to "put down." I listened for three hours at a time, rather than just a daily dose while I walked or did dishes. I just had to know more. For those who have ever cared for the dying, this may trigger some sad emotions, but for those who have NOT had such caregiving duties, I hope you will learn some things. Wonderful book!

So Captivating

I started out thinking this was going to be a waste of my time. Well it wasn’t. I highly recommend. Don’t wait, read it now.

stayed up in bed to finish

this is a really great book about italy during the war. main characters are well developed and once gets to really want them to survive. ending not predictable until almost last few chapters but worth it.

It was much different than I expected.

I had never read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. It was beautifully written. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline.

Very good story

The storyline was great the back and forth was a bit confusing at first and the grandmother's story was so heartbreaking to just imagine what people want through and go through when was is on their doorsteps. Was glad for the happy ending.