Words Written on Words Unspoken

Words Unspoken
by
Elizabeth Musser
(Bethany House)

In this stirring novel, Elizabeth Musser has skillfully depicted the heartache, panic attacks, and guilt that torment Lissa Randall as a result of the accident that stole her mother's life and robbed Lissa of the joy of her own life, wrecking her present and her future, as well as her relationship with her father and her beloved Caleb. Teetering on the brink of despair, she calls driving instructor Ev McAllister for help in mastering her fears. The pearls of wisdom he offers, along with an array of seeming coincidences, cause Lissa to face the most basic question of life. Simultaneously portrayed are the inner struggles of a group of seemingly random individuals who are desperately trying to keep their lives afloat. A missionary mom, broken and paralyzed with grief; a stockbroker, for whom the golden carrot is agonizingly close; a society wife, discovering she doesn't have it all, after all; a young publisher, bent on making his family in the Old Country proud, no matter the price; and a mysterious best-selling author whose soon-to-be-released novel is already causing quite a stir. Does one life impact another? Surely life is random. . .or is it?

This is a wonderful book with a clear message of hope, forgiveness, restoration, and renewal. You do have to pay attention as the characters are introduced and then their stories are intertwined. It's not a book to read awhile and then put aside for a few days. Which is fine, because I doubt you'd want to. I found myself wanting to reach through the pages and encourage, admonish, scold, comfort, shake, and hug these folks who seemed so real. The timing of the book's release itself, although not deliberate, isn't random, for although it is set in the fall of 1987, the financial climate and the consequences of greed seemed as if they were ripped from today's headlines. I laughed at the actual quote from Lee Iacocca:

We can't keep romping forever on borrowed money. (p. 212)

(Apparently, no one listened 20 years ago!)

And I suspect the fact that I read it while waiting for the forms to begin my boy's driving lessons isn't exactly random, either!

BOOK SUMMARY:
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, she still can't get back behind the wheel.

A casual recommendation to Ev McAllistair's driving school sets in motion a cascade of events... until Lissa begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, life isn't as random as she's thought.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lookout Mountain, TN, Words Unspoken weaves together a vibrant cast of characters whose intertwining stories of courage, choice, heartbreak, and hope will hold you captive until the final page.

AUTHOR BIO:
Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon's editors. Searching for Eternity is her sixth novel. Find out more about her at her website, where she says:

My heart's desire is to create beautiful stories of hope, faith, forgiveness and love--sprinkled with history, mystery and much more--thereby offering my readers 'entertainment with a soul.'

I highly recommend this book. You can purchase it directly from the publisher, from Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Happy Reading and Safe Driving!