Words We Cannot Say

Penelope works in the Labor and Delivery section of an Atlanta hospital. She’s always loved her job until she finds out that she’s the one pregnant and not sure she wants to have a baby. Especially not with Jasper, who has already dumped her to stay with his wife. Her cousin Lotus is expecting her second child, but this birth may not be as easy as her first. She’s busy trying to take care of Blaze, her first child, Rob, her husband, his friend Jagannath whose just moved in, and her store. Is it all becoming too much for her? Jesenia, Penelope’s best friend, is married to Edward and what she wants most is to become a mother. But she hasn’t managed to get pregnant yet. Does this mean she will have to think about adoption? Either way, she is determined to make a family with Edward.

The bonds of friendship bind these three women as they strive to be there for one another during the good and the bad times. But, this isn’t always easy when dreams are shattered, and personal tragedies are hard to overcome. Nevertheless, it isn’t in their nature to give up on each other no matter what life throws their way.

I love that this story dealt with three women trying to define their roles in life. It showed how they could meet the challenges they faced even when the choices were difficult. It covers various topics, friendship, complex relationships, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, addiction, birth, and death. I also love that this book is essentially three stories rolled into one. The women and their families were confronted with enough drama and dilemmas, which meant there was never a dull or slow moment in this story. It’s hard not to get caught up in the lives of each character. And I was a little surprised by Penelope’s story. It took a turn towards the end that I wasn’t anticipating but was far more emotional than I had imagined.

Overall, I felt a connection to these women. The author did a fantastic job making me feel this emotional connection to them. Of course, no one was perfect but, they were all trying to be the best they could be for themselves and each other. I think the main reason this story works so well is the backstories of each character which helps the reader understand where they come from and how and why that affected their choices throughout the book. For me, Words We Cannot Say was an engaging, well-written, riveting story that I hated to see come to an end.