The Words We Left Behind

by Callie Byrnes

"My favorite memories are the ones that never seem noteworthy—the ones you never tell at parties or recount to your family, the ones that don't have a plot or a reason. There's something in those excerpts of life, something so beautifully, achingly human."

These are the moments that matter the most.

These are the words we leave behind.

Callie Byrnes's debut book is a meditation on language, memory, and the profundity in small, everyday instances. Using words and their definitions as the canvas to explore the emotions and experiences that are specific yet universally understood, The Words We Left Behind is a love letter to the moments that make up a life.

Genres: Poetry

230 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Callie Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A for effort (I can say that, it was my effort).

[Megan Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL writing. Unfamiliar words paired with all too familiar human experiences. Byrnes talent is unlike anything I’ve read before. Such creative use of letters and words. Would 100% read again.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtakingly Haunting, The Words We Left Behind is a Collection of Vignettes You Won’t Soon Forget


Through experimental structure and striking prose poetry, Byrnes captures the essence of each defined word through her own experiences. Byrnes brings to life each definition and gives it new meaning. From the small and big moments of life, to the mundane and magnificent, Byrnes is able to find beauty in all that life may bring. Byrnes book is, at its essence, a tale of the human experience. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself inside the pages of The Words We Left Behind.

[Amber Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

~★★★★☆stars~
PRE-READING!!!
the book... smells good? when I got it, I thought I was going crazy, and my entire family smelled it. It smells like lavendar and chamomile!❤️ i love the cover sososo much.
THOUGHTS!!!
I love the chapter system in this book, the definition of words! really fits well with the book name.
The amount of sentences that put words to thoughts I've never thought of or been able to verbalize. This book is special.
i read a few of my favorite quotes out to my mom, and she saw a lot of them in a grieving way. for me, a lot of the quotes put that feeling of numbness into words.(cringe but oh well)
would recommend, not a book you read cover to cover though!!! vague story but powerful, yet not necessarily like most "story" books:)) that can be a pro or a con depending on who you are!
Pros:
1. lots and lots of amazing quotes.(within the first page, I underlined about 3)
2. up for interpretation, this book felt very personal to me, but had a completely different feel to my mom
Cons:
1. second person, which could be hard for some people to understand
2. lack of background details

[Leah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried, every page