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Words Get In the Way

by Nan Parson Rossiter (Goodreads Author)

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 135 ratings · 44 reviews

"Rossiter's second novel (after The Gin & Chowder Club) is an intimate portrayal of a family in crisis, with good character development and a bucolic setting." - Publishers Weekly

The modest ranch house where Callie Wyeth grew up looks just as she remembers it - right down to the well-worn sheets in the linen closet. But in the years since Callie lived here, almost ever...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published April 1st 2012 by Kensington

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2012: What women born in the '80's have read so far

431st out of 962 books — 102 voters

Books for Spring/Summer

52nd out of 74 books — 8 voters

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May 29, 2012 Nancy Narma rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Tears and Heart-Tugging Got In My Way”

Callie Wyeth feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s a single Mother whose beautiful three-year old, non-verbal son, Henry, the gift from a relationship with a married college instructor, has been diagnosed as Autistic. This news comes on top of Callie’s decision to return and to reside in her childhood home as her widowed Father has placed himself in a Nursing Home. Moving back to her quiet hometown in New Hampshire brings back m...more “Tears and Heart-Tugging Got In My Way”

Callie Wyeth feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s a single Mother whose beautiful three-year old, non-verbal son, Henry, the gift from a relationship with a married college instructor, has been diagnosed as Autistic. This news comes on top of Callie’s decision to return and to reside in her childhood home as her widowed Father has placed himself in a Nursing Home. Moving back to her quiet hometown in New Hampshire brings back many old memories every where she turns…especially in the old ranch house where thoughts of family celebrations and the wintry night that claimed her Mother’s life are coupled with feelings of fear and shame. There had been a long absence before she came home after Henry’s birth to see her Father, bringing Henry and the truth with her, hoping her Father would not reject them. As she unpacks her belongings, her mind drifts back to the heartbreak she caused and wonders if she will see Linden Finch. What will he think? Will he be repulsed by the whole situation? Will she have enough courage to tell him the truth? Will he forgive her? Whatever the outcome, her first priority is Henry. Not only was her life changed, but also his as he did not finish college as his parents had so hoped, and he coped with his heartache by leaving everything and everyone behind and hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. During his adventure, Linden found ( or they found him) two neglected/abandoned yellow labs who would soon be his loyal friends and named them “Kat” (short for Katahdin) and “Springer “, both for mountains at the beginning and end of the trail. Upon returning to civilization, he rented a small farm and adopted all varieties of unwanted or neglected animals. It was on a trip to a local hardware store that Callie and Henry bump into Linden and he and Henry remarkably bond. With Callie going back and forth to the nursing home, and asking no questions about her life, Linden offers to watch Henry, This was a Godsend, especially during a stressful time with her Father experiencing a mild stroke and is transferred to the hospital. Will Callie’s life get settled? Will she calm down and understand Henry as much as Linden does? Are Maddie Coleman and Fairbanks special angels sent here to help and guide Henry? I truly loved this book. Parts of it brought me to tears and the majority tugged at my heart most ferociously. It also taught me things about autism I had not realized. Anyone who has been touched by autism should read this book and take hope in a brighter tomorrow.What a powerful story Ms. Rossiter has woven! She has also included the first four chapters of her first novel, “The Gin and Chowder Club” to wet your reading appetite—and I am looking forward to going back and reading the entire volume, hoping it won’t be long before another comes our way. Make sure you have enough room on your shelf--you don’t want to miss this one! Nancy Narma
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Jul 10, 2012 Heather McCubbin rated it 2 of 5 stars

A great beach-read. Light, fluffy and not very deep. I found that there was a lot of "telling" instead of showing and the use of exclamation points got to be annoying! Another thing that I saw, that I was told is a big no-no in the writing world, is she wrote a character's words in a Boston accent. All I could hear was JFK's voice when I read this character's lines. Everyone knows what that accent sounds like and you only need to tell the reader once and then write the words "normally". Very fe...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

A woman and her autistic son move home when her father gets sick. She runs into her old boyfriend and they renew their relationship.

What struck me most about this book is how differently the mom acted than the moms of autistic kids I know today. The book is set mostly in 1999, and I suppose awareness has changed things a bit. Most of the moms I know are ferociously concerned with helping their kids. This woman, even when given some help and pointers, didn't seem particularly interested. Seems to...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-won

I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.

In this love story where words NEVER get in the way, Rossiter shows us the life of struggling, single mother Callie and her young son Henry who she has just learned has autism. Faced with money problems and her father's poor health, Callie decides to move home. While she hopes to steer clear of Linden, the man she left a few years ago with a broken heart, Henry makes it impossible to do so. Callie's patience is pushed as...more

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May 11, 2012 Kaity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012-reading-challenge

I received this book through GoodRead's First Reads giveaway.

This book about a struggling single mother, Callie, who returns to her hometown and rekindles her romance with her long-lost, high school sweetheart, Linden is reminiscient of the archive of Nicholas Sparks novels. The strong, independent mother hesitantly returns to the embrace of the man who never stopped loving her. Where this book differs, and shines, is the light Nan Rossiter sheds on autism as Callie struggles to understand her y...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Gale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, giveaway, diseases-illness, 2012

I'd call this a "feel good" book, short easy to read. I read sstraight through it. A single mother with no money moves with her young autistic son to her father's country home. The father is temporarily hospitalized and will need her to care for him upon leaving. She became pregnant during her "to be everlasting" relationship but could not tell her real love truth out of shame and embarassment. They have been apart several years though he too has returned to his home area.
Many relationships r...more
I'd call this a "feel good" book, short easy to read. I read sstraight through it. A single mother with no money moves with her young autistic son to her father's country home. The father is temporarily hospitalized and will need her to care for him upon leaving. She became pregnant during her "to be everlasting" relationship but could not tell her real love truth out of shame and embarassment. They have been apart several years though he too has returned to his home area.
Many relationships ran throughout the story like daughter-father, past love interest, neighbor to neighbor, daughter to son, former boyfriend to son. However, the handling of the austistic son's difficulties were the main part of this book. It was a very realistic presentation of the bewildering, scary parts of the disease and the positive features as well.
The youngsters mental levels reached from not speaking to giftedness in art. The child was very bright in some ways but completely "lost" in other ways. It was a very enlightening presentation of autism. There was also an important adult man with autism in the book. Seeing the adult who had learned to deal with his autism was enlightening.
Lots of nice elements were featured throughout Ms. Rossiter's book. Misunderstandings were explored, renewing a friendship, romance, aspects of old age, how concealing the truth effects your life and others, what to do about a runaway child with autism, different methods to handle the autistic child, the importance of complete supervision, accepting help from others, learning that autistic people hear differently (anything loud is much worse to them), starting anew,and moving and many other themes told a simple, worthy story, mostly uplifting. It kept me entertained. I did not put the book down until completed. The autistic element was given to us by realistic occurences and life events, not at all boring though factual.
I really liked the book. I you are interested at all in autism, with suggestions to help am autistic person, or just want a worthy book to enjoy, try "Words Get in the Way". (less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Ti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-sent-to-me

The Short of It:

Words Get In the Way is a heartwarming tale of redemption and hope.

The Rest of It:

When Callie Wyeth’s father suffers a stroke, she finds herself in a difficult position. Wanting desperately to help, she knows she must return to her childhood home, but the memories of her life three years before rush back to her. Particularly, Linden…the man she left behind. The man whose heart she was forced to break, in order to keep him from the painful truth. A truth which she hasn’t fully com...more The Short of It:

Words Get In the Way is a heartwarming tale of redemption and hope.

The Rest of It:

When Callie Wyeth’s father suffers a stroke, she finds herself in a difficult position. Wanting desperately to help, she knows she must return to her childhood home, but the memories of her life three years before rush back to her. Particularly, Linden…the man she left behind. The man whose heart she was forced to break, in order to keep him from the painful truth. A truth which she hasn’t fully come to terms with herself, even though the evidence of that slip of judgement stares up at her each, and every day.

Last June, I reviewed another book by Nan Rossiter, The Gin and Chowder Club, and at the time, I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. It surprised me because it wasn’t a book I would have picked up on my own, and I assumed it would be a lighter read. That was not the case and after enjoying it so much, I jumped at the chance to review her next book.

As with her previous book, this one has likable, well-developed characters but this one adds a weightier element. When Callie returns home, she returns with her young son, Henry. Henry has just been diagnosed with autism. This provides an additional layer of complexity to the story since Callie is still learning about triggers and cues. Her frustration over her son’s condition, is what made her more genuine to me as a reader and Henry’s interactions with Linden is what gives her hope.

The connection between these characters and the simple story line is what made this book very appealing to me. I will say, there is more of a spiritual element to this novel than the first book I read. I do not practice religion, but do believe in a higher power so these brief moments of prayer or mentions of God did not take anything away from the reading. Personally, I found these passages to be rather comforting. As a mother, I can certainly see why Callie would pray for her child as well as the health of her father. I think it’s important to note that I never felt as if Rossiter was pushing religion for religion’s sake. Callie is not perfect and remorseful for the mistakes she’s made. It seemed appropriate that Callie would find comfort in religion.

That said, I wanted to spend more time with these characters. The novel spans a very brief moment in time and I would have liked it more (call me selfish) if I had gotten to see them a little further along in their development. I wanted to see where they’d end up. There is a glimpse of that since the story opens with Callie in the present day, reflecting back on her past, but I wanted more of the stuff in between. Mainly because I enjoyed the characters so much.

If you enjoy honest, simple stories then give Rossiter a try.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Sarah Peralta rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars. This was an interesting book. The mother and her autistic toddler brought back some of the memories I had with my son when he was that age. Some of the mother's feelings echoed mine. I guess for me, I needed a little more character development. I felt the story ended too early.

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May 22, 2012 Devon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I was sucked into this book by the cute cover. I had no idea there would be so much God this and bible that through out the book. Minus the religious aspect of the book it was a good story. I did feel like it moved too fast at certain points and did a drive by ending. I was let wanting more.

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Sep 23, 2012 Christy Woolum rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a "feel good" book that is a quick read and captures your heart. Callie moves back to her childhood home and is faced with challenges that include her father, son, and a lost love. The book kept me interested as I understood her challenges and how she dealt with them. Easy read.

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Jan 02, 2013 Carmen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway

This was a nice little read that danced around a few issues but managed to resolve most of them without delving too deep. Yes, there is autism, which is interesting, along with romance and death, but nothing is explored fully and things are tied up in a pretty bow fairly quickly. Betrayal is forgiven without much discussion or even much anguish. With the young boy, as soon as they try a method of dealing with his autism he improves dramatically. Everything is so neat and tidy that I found the bo...more

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May 04, 2012 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-too-corny-love-stories

I read this book in several hours. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It linked Autism and a special boy who became the impetus for forgiveness and new love found in the ashes of love long left behind. It was beautiful. a must read.

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Jun 22, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Callie returns home to her New Hampshire home with her 3 years old autistic son, Henry. She reconnects with her old boyfriend, Linden. Linden helps Henry.

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Feb 12, 2013 Culleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed how Rossiter developed her characters. I felt like I knew them personally. I love how Henry bonds with Linden and Springer. A really great read with a great story line touching on a very real issue.

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Apr 15, 2013 Taylor May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autism

Super cute. I think I am in love with Linden. At times the book read a bit like a textbook with its definitions of autism and the behaviors associated with it.

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Jun 26, 2012 Kristin rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's a great summer read and very quick. Has a lot of feel good to it with a happy ending. Substance wasn't that great for me.

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Dec 20, 2012 Debra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-s-issues

Light, predictable but heartwarming story of motherhood and love while coping with an autistic child.

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Jan 11, 2013 Cassandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a pretty touching story. I think it could have been a little deeper, but overall I enjoyed it.

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Aug 16, 2012 Missy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good story - very quick read - touching story about a mom with a special needs child

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Apr 30, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nor, 2012-reading-challenges

A very sweet and touching book. Look for review on Night Owl Reviews.

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Apr 01, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

A little cheesy and predictable, but characters you care about.

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Aug 16, 2012 Nadine Haney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I good love story and I found out a little more about autism.

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Jan 13, 2013 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick book that I did enjoy though it was predictable.

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Nov 25, 2012 Shirl rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great story about a single mom and her autistic son.

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Aug 22, 2012 Twiga21 rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the plot, but it could have gone deeper into character development.

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Jan 21, 2013 Janet added it

Shelves: 2013

rather predicatable Christian romance

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Jul 20, 2012 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars

So boring I didn't get past page 60.

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Sep 05, 2012 Annie Chen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nothing too deep. Simple story about love. I enjoyed it.

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Dec 11, 2012 Mandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Too predictable.

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Aug 27, 2012 PWRL marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-new

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About Nan Parson Rossiter

New York Times bestselling author Nan Parson Rossiter's adult fiction is often compared to the work of Nicholas Sparks - especially her first novel, THE GIN & CHOWDER CLUB. She hopes readers who enjoyed GIN & CHOWDER (or those who haven't discovered it yet!) will look for the same characters in the Christmas anthology, MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT. Nan's second novel, WORDS GET IN THE WAY, is an...more

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