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....
ELIZABETH MUSSER writes ‘entertainment with a soul’ from her writing chalet—tool shed—outside Lyon, France. Elizabeth’s award winning, best-selling novel, The Swan House, was named one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year, one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years and was awarded the Gold Illumination Book Award 2021 for Enduring Light Fiction. All of Elizabeth’s novels have been translated into multiple languages and have been international bestsellers. Two Destinies, the final novel in The Secrets of the Cross trilogy, was a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award. The Long Highway Home was a finalist for the 2018 Carol Award. The Promised Land won second place in Literary Fiction at the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Awards and won the 2021 Carol Award for Contemporary Fiction. Elizabeth’s most recent novel, By Way of the Moonlight, is a Publisher’s Weekly Top Ten Pick in Religion and Spirituality for Fall Releases in 2022 and Parable and ECPA bestseller and was a finalist for the 2023 Christy Award.
For over thirty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions’ work in Europe with One Collective, formerly International Teams. The Mussers have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.
I don't need to write a summary of the book--I see many others have successfully done that. When I write these reviews, I answer the question at the top of the text box: "What did you think?" Well, I think Elizabeth Musser has become my favorite author in the Christian fiction genre. I absolutely despise syrupy-sweet, perfect, and preachy Christian fiction and you find none of that in Musser's books. She provides in-depth story lines laced with reality and a true reliance upon Jesus Christ without over-the-top platitudes and preaching. This story dealt with a theme many of us (if not all of us) face in life--silent words spoken in our heads to derail, discourage and depress us. It also dealt with the themes of regret, changes, and consequences of actions. The twists and turns in the story of Lissa dealing with the accident that killed her mother and the interconnection of the other characters facing equally weighty issues made it difficult to put the book down. For those of us who work with young people, there were valuable lessons woven throughout on how to share the truth, how much to talk, and how much more to listen. Parenthetically, for those of us who love France, the book provides little enticements to plan another trip (which I am doing). It was another excellent read and although this is only the third book I've read of hers, I am going to read them all. Keep up the good work of speaking the Truth, challenging your readers, and making us think, Ms. Musser.
Okay, this is another one of those memorable books. I wish it had been called Driving School as this would immediately cause me to remember the title. But the title as it is sinks into the true meat of the story. I loved this book. Lissa is a 19 year old deeply scarred by the death of her mother in a horrible car accident which she witnessed. She cannot get beyond it, always calling herself guilty. Her life pretty much comes to a screeching halt. When she's given the name of a driving instructor who deals with fearful driving students, she calls and begins what she doesn't realize is the beginning of her healing. Her locked heart begins to open, very carefully with this older gentleman who takes her under his and his wife's wings. The love and bond being established between the three of them is healing on all. However it seems like everyone in the book has pasts or secrets they need to keep hidden for a variety of reasons. The author has a lovely way of writing. Every emotion is felt by the reader. It makes you want to throttle some characters or hug others. I love that. Sound advice and deep thoughts will affect you in this book. I recommend this to anyone. Oh...I heard criticism about all the story-lines going on, and it being confusing. Yes there about 6 or 7 individual stories, but the fun is when you see eventually how they all relate and come together. I did not find it hard to follow at all...more like intriguing. Bear with it and pay attention. It's worth it.
I love this author, although it can take me awhile to get into her books. They require a certain level of thinking, which I'm not always prepared to do when I sit down to read - many times, I just prefer to be entertained, so my brain can relax from the day.
This book was so worth the effort, though! It's a book where you are so emotionally invested in the characters, you are dying to flip to the end to make sure everything works out as you want it to. But...I refrained!
I loved how she took a very broken girl who endured unthinkable trauma, and used a series of circumstances and people to point her to the One who could heal her, heart, body, and soul. The journey to that healing is a difficult one, but well worth it.
Multiple stories of different people, mostly a girl dealing with her mother's death. From the book, it seems guilt has taken over her life, which it can. I love the way the whole book comes together in the end. Great book.
Those new to Elizabeth Musser's books will enjoy the plot-driven story and twists of Words Unspoken. Her fans, however, are likely to be blown away by it.
The strengths in her previous books (in my opinion) were the historical research and settings brought to life. For Words Unspoken it is also the plot twists that bring in the US, France, Italy and even Eastern Europe and China added in the mix.
I'm usually very critical of Christian fiction. Usually it's because of weak, artificial dialogues. I didn't find that in Words Unspoken. Such a welcome change! The way the characters talked with each other, themselves, God - very real, very believable. That's what really sold me on the book...and also the multi-dimensional view of the characters! It made them deeper, more developed, engaging and real.
Again, if you're a fan - hurry up! This one's awesome. If you're new to her books, this is a great one to start with. And lastly, if you're not usually a fan of Christian fiction - give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
I just love her books - self dubbed "entertainment with a soul" - but this was my favorite since The Swan House. I always find such encouragement from her books while getting a spiritual reality check. The best kind of page turner!!
This book was good but sort of slow. It took me a couple of weeks for me to finish it for this reason. At first I wasn't sure where it was going because there were so many characters introduced in the first couple of chapters, but I loved how it all tied together by the end. 3.5 stars.
Wow. Elizabeth Musser has become my new favorite Christian fiction author (Since I've finished this book I've bought 3 other ones of hers). This was so amazingly written. She beautifully wove so many storylines together, bringing it all down to one book (within the book). Although it was a long book I felt captivated the entire way through.
Three complaints: 1. I'm not sure how I feel about the words in your head. Most of the book made sense but then when the words of truth were battling the lies, it almost seemed that the author was alluding to God speaking. 2. So many hard topics were dealt with in this book. I'm not sure if this is complaint, or just a warning. The topics range from suicide to partying to the death of a child to marital problems. 3. I would have liked if the spiritual endings were a little more explicit. The characters found hope (with mentions of God) but there wasn't the gospel.
Who hasnt heard voices like these telling her how worthless she is? I know I have.
Or maybe the voices say:
Go ahead! Whos going to know? You deserve it.
The characters in Elizabeth Mussers novel Words Unspoken hear voices. They struggle with depression, loss, greed, bitterness and figuring out which voices to listen to.
Okay. The book is agenda driven and packed with homespun psychology, but hey! I like the agenda, and who says homespun psychology doesnt help? Musser does a good job of communicating both through characters that we come to care about.
If I had one criticism of this book, it would be too many characters. (I would have liked Janelle to have her own book, but it probably wouldnt sell in the US market.) The shifting points-of-view were pretty confusing until I sorted them all out. There are an aging driving instructor and a hurting young woman afraid to drive since the accident that killed her mother; a socialite with a cheating husband and a missionary grieving the loss of a child; a driven broker and an ambitious editors assistant. Each has her own story. Each is haunted by his own voices. But hang in there. It all comes together. By the end we are pulling for each of them to listen to the right voices, make the right choiceseven the bad guys.
This is contemporary historical fiction, set during the financial crisis of late 1987. I thought that most people could relate to the idea of hearing voices, says Musser, but what I didnt expect was that the time period I chose, October 1987, would be so similar to what the U.S. is experiencing now in the financial market and banking system.
This is also Southern fiction. Most of the action takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, where Musser grew up, or around Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. The details of place will make it a fun read for anyone familiar with those locations.
Some scenes take place in the south of France where Musser and her husband are missionaries. As a missionary myself, it was the feelings I identified with more than the setting per se. Although I havent lost a child, I have struggled with depression and guilt because missionaries are supposed to be spiritually stronger than that. I had to laugh at the perceptions of Janelles sister when she visitedtiny car, tiny house, tiny bathroom, dont they ever spend money?
Musser writes: A major breakthrough in my life as a Christian and as a young woman came when I understood which voice to listen to and which voices to tune out. Through studying Scripture, I learned how to make a battle plan when I was tempted to listen to the wrong voices. If that is your struggle right now, this may be just the book for you.
3.5 stars. Lovely story, but a slow start (and a wide variety of characters introduced without any clue of how they were going to come together into the story)
So I randomly picked up this novel at the library, and it turned out to be a good read. I frequently am embarrassed by Christian fiction. But books like this one are delightful exceptions to the rule of mediocrity.
Lissa has suffered from a major tragedy–her mother was fatally hit by a car, and Lissa blames herself for the accident. Several years later, Lissa still isn’t able to drive on her own. Her college plans have fallen by the wayside, and her relationship with her dad is incredibly rocky and difficult.
Then she starts driving lessons with Ev McAllistair, an elderly man who specializes in giving lessons to people who are struggling to learn how to drive. Lissa is drawn to the man’s peace and quite confidence, and ultimately to his God.
Meanwhile, the book also follows the stories of several other apparently unrelated individuals. As the story unwinds, these lives are drawn together as the author explores how God works through tragedy, and how secrets (even good-intentioned ones) can drive us apart.
In some ways, I felt like the ending was a bit overly dramatic, and it wasn’t a huge shock to find out the answers to the little mysteries that had been unraveling. However, the language throughout is beautiful. Somehow, the adjective that springs to mind for this book is gentle. It is not a fast-paced, wild plot. But the story doesn’t drag, either. It just meanders gently along. I really enjoyed this story, and will be looking for other of Musser’s writings soon.
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 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.
This book had been sitting in my queue for awhile, but I am so glad I picked it back out! There were so many interwoven characters and stories in this book that it could have been confusing, but it was done so well that even before the stories began to weave together, each subplot was engaging and worth investing in. Every story had its need for forgiveness and redemption; every character had a need to both forgive and be forgiven. There is a lot of heartbreak in this book, both in the characters' pasts, and in the present telling of their stories, but within that heartbreak comes healing and strength to go on.
I give this book 4 stars. It's been awhile since I've read a book with such complex characters and such rich backstories.
I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.
Elizabeth Musser never disappoints. Words Unspoken reminded me of Thornton Wilder's classic Bridge of San Luis Rey in the way it took a number of seemingly unconnected lives and showed how they were, in fact, related. Don't miss this one!
Elizabeth Musser's writing has moved me to tears once again in this magnificent book. With many twists and turns and stories within stories, it all comes together with a message that will cause you to reflect on your own life. I absolutely loved this one!!!!
Very cool story. Like most of Musser's writings, it incorporates a European and his unique mindset into the fabric of the characters' lives. I guessed the ending, but was still impressed with how everything was resolved. Great tale of investing in later generations, and of healing after tragedy.
God's Words of Blessing vs satan's words that condemn: how to listen to the Truth
This was somewhat of a painful book to read; but full of what we realistically experience in this world. The author introduces many characters which seem to be in totally separate worlds, so at first I was having trouble keeping track of them. But gradually, like a mystery, they began to connect to each other, but more than that, they each come to encounter a God who redeems from sin, selfishness, and pain and they begin to let go of their temptations to listen to deception and their efforts to control their own lives. And the pain of the past, for the main characters in this book is incorporated into Blessing on themselves, but also on many around them. There is realistic pain in many good Christian novels, but when Truth shines through, true Joy shines through that demonstrates the Hope God gives in His Eternal Loving Presence.
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 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.
This book is like a jigsaw puzzle. When you first start reading it, you may be overwhelmed by all the different characters, each with unresolved issues. The characters are introduced in the opening chapters: Lissa taking driving lessons after a fatal accident claims her mother’s life, Ev and wife Annie operating a driving school to mentor young people, Katy Lynn dealing with divorce, Janelle grieving the loss of her little boy, Ted wheeling and dealing to make it into “The Million Dollar” club, and Silvano, an Italian immigrant bent on success at whatever cost in order to bring his family to the US.
I started this book once before but got bogged down wondering how all the pieces fit together. I returned to it last month. The secret is to keep reading. In the end everything makes sense, the pieces do fit together. Keep reading and you will be rewarded.
This book is brilliant! I've found a new favourite Christian fiction author. I must say before I read it I was a little sceptical reading the back cover and finding out that it was about a driving school, but as it came highly recommended I decided to give it a go. Well I couldn't put it down, and this is a rare thing for me. I just wanted to find out what was going to happen next. There are lots of seemingly unrelated stories running simultaneously, but they become part of the mystery as to how everything is connected. I'm going to really miss the characters in the book and may read it again. Highly recommended 😊
I read this book many years ago and only vaguely remembered the plot. There were many characters and it was difficult to predict how and where they would intersect in the story. I could even imagine that one of them could have been deleted without much damage to the story. However, the author manages to tie it all together at the end of the story and leave the reader with hope.
It has a realistic portrayal of some of the suffering that we flawed humans experience and the hope that keeps us going. I appreciate the author's words and even found myself wishing that I could read S. A. Green's books for myself!
I really like this author and seeing her name almost guarantees that I will enjoy the book. This one was challenging—not because of the reading but because the characters faced so many realistic scenarios. It is said that “the grass is always greener on the other side,” but as we’re peering over we don’t see that some of that greenery is from weeds. Words Unspoken deals with greed, covetousness, lying, and broken relationships because of a lack of communication. Oh what issues we could solve if we just talked to one another more (and listened!)
I found this book really intriguing. There were a whole lot of characters introduced at the beginning, that seemed completely unrelated, but it wasn't until you kept reading that the connections gradually were made known. It is a story where hope slowly comes forth, wounds are eventually healed and families are brought back together.
Musser gives us characters we can love or maybe dislike. As the characters become real on the pages, we see how their stories will intertwine in the end; yet she keeps us reading to find out how. This book is a satisfying read as we see the characters grow as they learn to love, trust, and admit their errors and how they affect others.
I’m beginning to really like this author. It takes me a bit to get into her books, but when I do it pays off, she had me tearing up multiple times at the end. This book addresses redemption, doubt, depression, and condemning thoughts. She did such a good job of weaving the characters stories together showing how nothing is coincidence. There are many great lessons in this book.
Elizabeth Musser's "Words Unspoken" is a touching novel that brought me to tears. I love the intertwining of all the characters lives, and the faith that is mentioned. I additionally enjoyed the character development throughout this novel. Musser writes beautifully. This book is one that I will always remember and cherish.
I had read this years ago, but all I remembered was a young girl depressed over an accident, learning to drive again, a horse, and voices. I had forgotten all the best parts, especially the emphasis on God working things together in our lives and being the true voice for us to be listening to. Really good stuff!