What's Left Unsaid

A Novel

By: Emily Bleeker

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

An enthralling novel of secrets, second chances, and confronting the past by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of When I’m Gone.

After a series of devastating losses, Chicago journalist Hannah Williamson has landed in Senatobia, Mississippi, to care for her bedridden grandmother and endure grunt work at a small newspaper. But in cleaning out its archives, Hannah discovers a compelling distraction from her life: a series of rejected articles from the 1930s that illuminate a long-hidden mystery.

The articles, penned by a young woman named Evelyn, are haunting accounts of first love, trauma, and surviving a mysterious shooting that left Evelyn paralyzed at the age of fourteen. The articles stir up more questions than answers, and Hannah becomes consumed by what’s left unsaid. Encouraged by Guy Franklin, a local middle school teacher, Hannah’s investigation into Evelyn’s past becomes more personal with each new reveal. For Hannah, as both a journalist and a woman bearing her own emotional wounds, this is a chance to move forward and bring closure to the story of the girl whose secrets are buried in Senatobia.

What Hannah’s about to discover next is that, even after nearly a century, the truth she’s been looking for still has the power to change lives. Especially her own.

©2021 by Emily Bleeker. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Too much profanity but good story

I do not like nor do I enjoy so much profanity. The story is great, deals with depression, death, loss, grief, and how life turns a season… around the corner to victory. Sometimes, as the writer in the story reflects my own history with journalism… there are battles but one has to choose which ones to fight. The battle over depression is helped by helping others sometimes because healing is like watching a pot boil… it is slower when counting the minutes or days. Being busy doing something worthwhile does help with getting through a season of grief, loss, disappointment and depression. Good story and I can’t stop listening!

Great narrator!

I listened to this on Audible and the narrator was excellent. It’s sort of a slow burn with a bit too much filling for me at first but it kicked up with a few twists and turns that were unexpected. An enjoyable read.

Small town mystery that touches on hard topics

I was surprised by this book. It started off feeling like it might just be a shallow mystery read, and while it certainly isn't groundbreaking literature, it delved into some topics that you don't always see in books like this. But throughout it touched on feminism, racism, mental illness, and the integrity of journalism. It was nice to see black characters, single fathers acting as primary caretakers, and women finding their voices. Again, not in an overly academic way, but a nice change from other mystery books.

Awful save your money

Had to stop at 25% couldn't go any farther. The writing was that of a high school girl. She caught her boy friend Alex in bed with a woman he had been having an affair with for months, this was a year ago and she can't get over him. This is where you get your girlfriends together you get the gun, they bring the shovels. She never showered or washed her hair.

Really enjoyed this book!

Loved the story, the mystery unveiled slowly. Leaving you thirsting for more. Well written. Wonderful! Can't wait to read more from this author!

Excellent fun light book

This book was so much fun to read while on vacation it was light intriguing and suspenseful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Parallel lives

Family secrets across generations lead a struggling reporter on a search that just might give her back her life. After a disastrous breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Hannah Williamson’s life falls apart. She loses everything - her father dies, she loses her job and friends, and she falls into a deep depression as she struggles to cope with the loss and grief. Moving to Mississippi to help care for her 90-something grandmother, Hannah stumbles upon a 100-year-old mystery as she scans old newspaper records as part of her job at the local newspaper office. Intrigued by the story, she searches for more information drawing others into the drama of finding out what happened to Evelyn. What she finds will change the lives of several people and just might give her the courage to find happiness for herself.

Well crafted but a little too polished

Every once in a while a detail/narrative thought process slips in that doesn’t make sense/forestalls the obvious. And the coincidences were so good it was distracting, like I found myself thinking how the author set that up far in advance, rather than being immersed in the story. On the other hand, it had great insights into thought processes/struggles from a female perspective, and everything came to a satisfying conclusion, even if it was a little farfetched.

Great Story.

I love the story. it was hard to stop it. worth listen to an very sad.

Book wouldn’t play

The recording seems to be corrupted. It wouldn’t play part chapter 12. Story was decent.