The Stories We Don’t Tell Book Review

“Growing up had stolen the truth of us.â€

A life worth living is a life worth sharing. Growing up in a small town in Montana not worth a name, that kind of life is not one Nick can manage, let alone comprehend. When fate gives him an existence he can barely recognize, he searches for meaning in the future he wishes existed, and attempts to escape a past that cannot be told, save for in the pages of a faded memory.

Melissa Thayer’s lyrical and poignant debut novel, part confession and part wistful longing, is an incisive look at love and loss, and what remains of a soul that is dashed against the rocky shorelines of hope.

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this debut novel very much. I liked how it offered perspectives on situations from both Nick and Emma’s perspectives as well is how life events can affect people, not only in the present but also throughout their lives. I could relate to some of the hauntedness of Nick’s persona because terrible things have happened in my life and sometimes it’s hard not to try to envision how life might have been if things had happened differently. It’s just one of those human experience things, I guess. But, I don’t indulge in that kind of thinking often and I don’t mire myself in it. What is, is what is, I figure. Better to understand that the past cannot be changed and just focus on making the present and future as good as you have the ability to try to make it. Ultimately, I am impressed with this first effort and am looking forward to what lies ahead from this author.