Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Call number
F MUS
Publication
Bethany House
Description
Lissa Randall's future was bright with academic promise until the tragic accident that took her mother's life--and brought her own plans to a screeching halt. Eighteen months later Lissa is still unable to get back behind the wheel. Ev McAllistair's driving school looks like Lissa's best hope for getting her life back on the road again. His patience and fatherly wisdom seem to transcend the driving experience. But Ev's own complicated past is about to resurface, with consequences for everyone in his orbit....
User reviews
LibraryThing member TonyaSB
I received Words Unspoken from the March batch of Early Reviews from LibraryThing. This is my very first ARC. I was so excited! I know that a lot of people get advanced copies but it's never happened to me before so I was thrilled. Unfortunately, I didn't know this author or any of her previous
I was not aware that Elizabeth Musser writes Christian Fiction when I signed up to get this book. There's nothing in the description of the book or on her LibraryThing page that would have led me to believe she was Christian Fiction author. I have nothing against Christian Fiction, per se, but since it is not my faith I have a hard time enjoying books with such a strong Christian theme.
The story is actually pretty good and I got very engrossed in what was happening with Lissa and Ev and all the other characters revolving throughout their lives. I found that I even enjoyed Musser's writing style in spite of the constant pressure to believe that the only way to live a moral life is to live a Christian life. I guess that's the biggest problem I have with Christian Fiction. It IS possible to live a moral and non-materialistic life without being Christian but often in these books the people who are immoral or living life for monetary reasons are the ones who aren't living a Christian life. The people who have everything work out in their favor are the ones who either are already living a Christian life or come around to it in the end. I understand the reason these authors are writing in this style is to get across a certain message, but I feel slightly insulted to have someone infer that my life is being lived immorally or simply incorrectly because I am not Christian.
The only real problem I had with the story itself is the way in which non-white people are portrayed. The only black person in the book is a porter or butler (that's never made clear) at a country club. In my mind, a person in a prominent position like this needs to be at least a little educated and would speak as if he was. Musser writes his lines in phonetically. For example, one of the things he says OFTEN is "Sho' Nuf'." It is obvious that she is writing his lines with not only his accent emphasized but also to show that he is not educated. She mentions several times the accents of other people but does not write their lines phonetically. This is a major problem for me. Why is only the 1 black person treated this way in your novel? The other "non-whites" are a few Muslim women that one of the characters is a missionary to in France. Here's a another instance where I was insulted that it is inferred they are only worth something because they've come to the "right" faith and left the "wrong" one.
Seriously, though, other than this main problem and my not agreeing with the message of the book, I enjoyed the story. If you can get passed the way the porter/butler is treated and enjoy Christian Fiction, I recommend you pick up this book.
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works. I just signed up for this book based on the description. It sounded intriguing.I was not aware that Elizabeth Musser writes Christian Fiction when I signed up to get this book. There's nothing in the description of the book or on her LibraryThing page that would have led me to believe she was Christian Fiction author. I have nothing against Christian Fiction, per se, but since it is not my faith I have a hard time enjoying books with such a strong Christian theme.
The story is actually pretty good and I got very engrossed in what was happening with Lissa and Ev and all the other characters revolving throughout their lives. I found that I even enjoyed Musser's writing style in spite of the constant pressure to believe that the only way to live a moral life is to live a Christian life. I guess that's the biggest problem I have with Christian Fiction. It IS possible to live a moral and non-materialistic life without being Christian but often in these books the people who are immoral or living life for monetary reasons are the ones who aren't living a Christian life. The people who have everything work out in their favor are the ones who either are already living a Christian life or come around to it in the end. I understand the reason these authors are writing in this style is to get across a certain message, but I feel slightly insulted to have someone infer that my life is being lived immorally or simply incorrectly because I am not Christian.
The only real problem I had with the story itself is the way in which non-white people are portrayed. The only black person in the book is a porter or butler (that's never made clear) at a country club. In my mind, a person in a prominent position like this needs to be at least a little educated and would speak as if he was. Musser writes his lines in phonetically. For example, one of the things he says OFTEN is "Sho' Nuf'." It is obvious that she is writing his lines with not only his accent emphasized but also to show that he is not educated. She mentions several times the accents of other people but does not write their lines phonetically. This is a major problem for me. Why is only the 1 black person treated this way in your novel? The other "non-whites" are a few Muslim women that one of the characters is a missionary to in France. Here's a another instance where I was insulted that it is inferred they are only worth something because they've come to the "right" faith and left the "wrong" one.
Seriously, though, other than this main problem and my not agreeing with the message of the book, I enjoyed the story. If you can get passed the way the porter/butler is treated and enjoy Christian Fiction, I recommend you pick up this book.
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LibraryThing member erinclark
Lissa Randall survived a terrible accident that killed her mother. Two years later she is riddled with guilt, is terrified to get behind the wheel and has put her life on hold. Her relationship with her father is strained and they have trouble communicating. With the help of Ev, a kindly driving
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instructor she takes the plunge and starts to pull the pieces of her life back together, making a new beginning. There are several characters in the story and they become well developed as the story unfolds. In the beginning I was curious on how all these very different people would come together. However, they did and it worked for me. The Christian slant on things kind of bothered me as I don't believe you have to be a Christian to be a good and giving person, but it wasn't too preachy so I can let that go. It is a sweet story of loss, love, and personal growth. Show Less
LibraryThing member MsGemini
This is a coming of age story of a young women,Lissa Randall. The story starts with a tragic event in her life and then restarts 2 years later as she is trying to put her life back together. The characters are realistic and well developed. There are a few different stories going on at the same
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time, adding to the interest of this book.This was the first I had heard of Elizabeth Musser. I read she was a Southern author but did not realize this book was Christian Fiction. This is not a genre, I usually read and was pleasantly surprised by this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member scarvell
When I started reading Words Unspoken, I thought it would be more about Lissa Randall and her life following a tragic accident that killed her mother and was a bit annoyed with so many character being developed at once. I did assume that they would all connect some how, and did enjoy reading their
I enjoyed the Christian emphasis, even though I didn't know that this book was Christian fiction when I started reading it. I found it enjoyable to have the bible intertwined in the story, and the message brought about from this. Musser was able to illustrate Christian morals through her character's lives and how thier lives were changed when they became Christians. Musser's character's seemed to gain peace when they began to believe that their is a God who is in control of their lives and that there is a reason for the many coincidences they've encountered.
All in all, this book eventually kept my attention and I was very interested in how the story would play out. I was pleasantly surpised with the ending, and the direction the character's lives were heading.
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connections when they finally took place. I still felt that some of the characters could have been more developed had more time been spent on them, especially Lissa. It was refreshing to have the story written in different views because of the style Musser uses, but I felt some characters were underdeveloped.I enjoyed the Christian emphasis, even though I didn't know that this book was Christian fiction when I started reading it. I found it enjoyable to have the bible intertwined in the story, and the message brought about from this. Musser was able to illustrate Christian morals through her character's lives and how thier lives were changed when they became Christians. Musser's character's seemed to gain peace when they began to believe that their is a God who is in control of their lives and that there is a reason for the many coincidences they've encountered.
All in all, this book eventually kept my attention and I was very interested in how the story would play out. I was pleasantly surpised with the ending, and the direction the character's lives were heading.
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LibraryThing member joeypod
I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers group. I didn't realize it was religious based until I was already reading it. At the start of the story it was a little difficult because of the number of characters introduced and keeping up with each one's story line. But I found I really
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enjoyed discovering how all the characters and stories fit together. The story itself is very interesting. Some of the religious passages were a little over the top but that may be just because I don't really read this genre. However, I still liked the story and characters. The religious aspects weren't so much that they turned me off to the storylines. I would feel comfortable passing this on to some of my friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member julyso
Lissa Randall is trying to learn how to live after losing her mom to a terrible car accident that she feels responsible for. She struggles with guilt ,and she hasn't driven since the accident. She feels a disconnect with her father and feels he blames her for the accident. Lissa is trying get her
I also received this book through the Early Reviewers program at Library Thing. I had no idea it was a Christian fiction book when I requested it, I just thought the book sounded good. I didn't love all the religious passages, but they didn't bother me. The story is very complicated and there are lots of characters that just don't seem to fit together. In the end, however, it all comes together to make a good story and one that I did enjoy.
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act together, she is tired of being stuck and is ready to move on...she just doesn't know how. Through Lissa, we meet several other people connected to her story and we also learn about their lives and how they help Lissa through her pain.I also received this book through the Early Reviewers program at Library Thing. I had no idea it was a Christian fiction book when I requested it, I just thought the book sounded good. I didn't love all the religious passages, but they didn't bother me. The story is very complicated and there are lots of characters that just don't seem to fit together. In the end, however, it all comes together to make a good story and one that I did enjoy.
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LibraryThing member sydamy
Like everyone else who received this book through the ER program, I was unaware this was a Christian fiction novel. (I will have to check publishers info from now on!) The books description made it seem it was about Lissa, and her having to recover after a tragic car accident in which her mother
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dies. This is true but that was only a small part of the book. I must admit I did not finish the book. Although the characters and their stories were interesting, the strong Christian overtones and heavy religious content was too much for this non Christian girl. I will just say this book was not for me. Nothing wrong with the story itself, just not my cup of tea. Show Less
LibraryThing member scarpettajunkie
Words Unspoken by Elizabeth Musser is a multi-plot brilliant gem of a story that will keep you turning pages. The main plot concerns Lisa Randall who was planning on Ivy league college until a horrible automobile accident claims her mother's life. The memory of this is preventing Lisa from being
At first it seems like a bunch of unrelated vignettes about people needing to find God in their lives but the further you read the more clear it becomes that all these random events that are happening actually have purpose and are not so random.
I like that the story is called words unspoken because it ties Lisa's dreams and the voices in her head to the words that Ev MacAllister wants to say but is unable to in the conventional sense all together. Then the story becomes more about what is not being said versus what is communicated and makes you aware of the characters on multiple levels.
This story explains the grief and anger when tragedy happens and God seems to be absent. It also shows how God can show up when you least expect him. I wanted to kick butt more than once in this story so I give this book a thumbs up for how involved it made me feel. The characters leaped off the pages and the emotions were vivid.
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able to drive. She learns about Ev MacAllister's driving school which starts the plots of all the secondary characters. I counted seven different plots at one point.At first it seems like a bunch of unrelated vignettes about people needing to find God in their lives but the further you read the more clear it becomes that all these random events that are happening actually have purpose and are not so random.
I like that the story is called words unspoken because it ties Lisa's dreams and the voices in her head to the words that Ev MacAllister wants to say but is unable to in the conventional sense all together. Then the story becomes more about what is not being said versus what is communicated and makes you aware of the characters on multiple levels.
This story explains the grief and anger when tragedy happens and God seems to be absent. It also shows how God can show up when you least expect him. I wanted to kick butt more than once in this story so I give this book a thumbs up for how involved it made me feel. The characters leaped off the pages and the emotions were vivid.
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LibraryThing member meags222
I had a difficult time getting into this book. I grew up in a Catholic household but I am anything but religious now. That being said, after trying to be more open minded I found that I enjoyed this book. I liked the map of secondary characters as well as the internal stuggles of the main
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character. While not at the top of my favorites list, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member mhleigh
This book is many stories woven into one. At the center is Lissa, a teenage girl who is traumatized after witnessing her mother's death in a freeway accident which Lissa feels responsible for. The catastrophe derails her life in every way possible, but now she is ready to take the first step to
I could just not get into this book for any extended amount of time. It is set in 1985, which just serves to make it seem old fashioned and out-of-date - it's not a yay, kick back to the 80s moment, it just adds to the yawn factor. There are a few two many stories, and the interweaving is not done as skillfully as with other authors. It's not a terrible book, but the characters and writing did not keep my interest well.
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moving on with her life - learning how to drive again, without panic attacks, which will allow her to be independent, move out of her father's house, maybe go to college. To help her with this goal she is relying upon Ev McAllister, driving school instructor, who specializes in reaching troubled youths. This is just the primary interaction - Words Unspoken has several other stories of various interest levels which come back at the reader at various intervals.I could just not get into this book for any extended amount of time. It is set in 1985, which just serves to make it seem old fashioned and out-of-date - it's not a yay, kick back to the 80s moment, it just adds to the yawn factor. There are a few two many stories, and the interweaving is not done as skillfully as with other authors. It's not a terrible book, but the characters and writing did not keep my interest well.
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LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
When as a reader you approach a novel by Elizabeth Musser, one often knows not to expect a light read. Her books are full, filled to the brim with emotion and relatable experiences. As with another novel "The Swan House", that I also loved, this story deals with the difficult intricacies of
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depression. When speaking of her novel, she states it well, this book is about depression, but is not depressing. That is something very hard to come by. The topics are heavy, but necessary and relatable. As a reader who personally does not like to read contemporary fiction because of the realistic pain of stories involved I highly enjoy the "recent historical inspirational fiction" here. The negative aspects of reality are found within the pages of the novel, but the spiritual message peaks through and becomes a much stronger presence than all of the negativity with each continuous page and chapter. One can finish the pages of this novel with hope and going forward. As was stated in a press release, (While this hard-hitting approach can be interpreted by some as negative, Musser disagrees, saying "I write what I call 'entertainment with a soul'. I want the reader to find not only a good story but also real characters and themes that touch their hearts and force them to think, to laugh and cry and hope. To be entertained way down in their souls." )As an avid reader and reviewer, I can tell you that Musser made her goals with this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
When as a reader you approach a novel by Elizabeth Musser, one often knows not to expect a light read. Her books are full, filled to the brim with emotion and relatable experiences. As with another novel "The Swan House", that I also loved, this story deals with the difficult intricacies of
Show More
depression. When speaking of her novel, she states it well, this book is about depression, but is not depressing. That is something very hard to come by. The topics are heavy, but necessary and relatable. As a reader who personally does not like to read contemporary fiction because of the realistic pain of stories involved I highly enjoy the "recent historical inspirational fiction" here. The negative aspects of reality are found within the pages of the novel, but the spiritual message peaks through and becomes a much stronger presence than all of the negativity with each continuous page and chapter. One can finish the pages of this novel with hope and going forward. As was stated in a press release, (While this hard-hitting approach can be interpreted by some as negative, Musser disagrees, saying "I write what I call 'entertainment with a soul'. I want the reader to find not only a good story but also real characters and themes that touch their hearts and force them to think, to laugh and cry and hope. To be entertained way down in their souls." )As an avid reader and reviewer, I can tell you that Musser made her goals with this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member MyUtopia
Great book!
Original publication date
2009-05-01
ISBN
9780764203732