What's Left Unsaid by Emily Bleeker

☆☆☆☆
.PDF, 386 pages
Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Lake Union Publishing

About the Book:
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.

My Review:

Hannah has gone to Senatobia, Mississippi to look after her grandmother. She has been dumped, lost her job at the Chicago Tribune and is now working at a tiny paper in Senatobia. While cleaning up the archives she comes across articles written to the editor by a teen named Evelyn almost a century ago and Hannah decides to investigate. What follows is a wonderful story or family secrets and history.

The first couple chapters of this book started a little slow for me but once Evelyn's articles get involved I was hooked. I could have read a whole book about her alone. She was such a feisty fourteen year old and I loved reading about her childhood and backstory. I really enjoy epistolary novels and this is like that. 

The hidden ties that bind our lives together are the most intriguing. This is a story full of secret, silken threads between many people. Emily Bleeker's literary voice shines through in this book. The stories of Evelyn and Hannah will capture you. I found it hard to put this book down, and was completely drawn in as Evelyn's story unfolds. You will remember these characters long after you turn the last page. An excellent read.

Disclosure:
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#WhatsLeftUnsaid #NetGalley