Things I Cannot Say

by Geraldine Mellet

Journalist and disability rights ally Geraldine Mellet brings us a wry, clever and ultimately uplifting novel about a young woman, newly paralysed and voiceless, who must find a way to save the day.


Tracey Read is well and truly trapped. A globetrotting engineer in her thirties, as adept at fixing failing projects as she is at avoiding commitment, she's now paralysed after a major accident and warehoused in an aged care facility she nicknames The Last Resort. For the first time in her life Tracey can't just get up and go - not unless she channels her former self and stages a breakout.

Forced to interact with others who live and work in the 'home', Tracey overcomes her own prejudices to find pockets of kindness and community, and with each small moment of independence she claws back, she begins to recognise herself again.

But as her analytical brain comes back online, Tracey notices something darker going on. When her suspicions are ignored by the people in charge, it's left to her to speak up, a tricky proposition given her voice disappeared on the day of the accident and no one knows if it's coming back.

Underestimated, ignored, and facing the biggest challenge of her life, can Tracey expose the wrongdoing happening behind closed doors? And if she does, will she become the engine of her own story, or put everything at risk?

PRAISE FOR THINGS I CANNOT SAY

'Mellet manages an amazing feat - a feisty character that has the reader simultaneously feeling shaken, punching the air, furious at the system and wryly smiling at the dark humour. A poignant story about what it is to be human - without shying away from the difficult stuff yet ultimately full of hope.' Anne Buist, co-author of The Glass House

'With wry wit and dark irony, Geraldine Mellet has crafted a novel that resonates with authenticity.' Shelley Davidow, author of The Girl with the Violin

'I loved this beautiful book, imbued as it is with heartache and humour, sharpness and wit, tragedy and hope.' Suzanne Leal, author of The Watchful Wife

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2026

About the author

Geraldine Mellet's love of story began in childhood with a hammock and a never-ending tower of books and has been the through-line in her life ever since. After a degree in French and Japanese and a sideline in Bunraku puppetry, Geraldine was spectacularly unemployable until she found her happy place in broadcast journalism. In addition to twenty-five years in radio and television at the ABC, story was also central to her work as a disability rights advocate and coordinator for both the Every Australian Counts campaign for the NDIS and The Lives We Lead social media project.

She has also co-written Whose Hand is This, the non-fiction account of how a WA nurse and her husband reinvented their lives after a severe cerebral stroke, as well as being a newspaper columnist and writer of children's TV drama. She lives, reads and writes on Whadjuk Noongar land in Perth, WA.

Reviews

[beccabeccabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, man. This was one heck of a gut punch to read. I felt so uncomfortable, angry and despaired. If you want an eagle eyed look at the situation that is young people in aged care, Things I Cannot Say is the book for you.

Our eyes and ears is Tracey, global trotting engineer. After an accident that left her quadriplegic and voiceless, she has now found herself in 'The Last Resort', surrounded by mostly an elderly population. Simply because, there was nowhere else for her to go that had the proper medical care.

If you can call it 'proper' that is. More often than not, Tracey and her fellow residents are left lonely, isolated, neglected, traumatised and without any sense of dignity. In some cases, even abused. And thats not limited to the younger spectrum- Tracey is one of three that is currently residing.

I can't even fathom that in some populations that this is the norm. That's why Tracey and her band of friends start rebelling and stage a breakout. That's why they become vocal. That That's why, when something sinister starts occurring, they are on alert, despite the consequences.

Which leads to nicer themes such as bravery, community, empowerment, found family and hope. During the year spent more or less imprisoned, Tracey begins to channel that positivity. She's determined to survive this particular hurdle and get the hell out of there.

I haven't quite read anything like this before. Geraldine Mellet has done a superb job in research and voice. What an author to watch out for.

4.75 🌟

[Dallace Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can honestly say that my favourite thing to do is pick a book up and without even reading the back, just dive in.

I had no idea what this story was about and possibly would have decided it was not my cup of tea.

I’m so glad I read this, it is a perspective that I am lucky enough to have never thought about or considered (due to my own arrogance)
I feel a much deeper understanding of what some people go through and I am sorry I hadn’t read this earlier in life.

[Lisa Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tragic, depressing to read. Makes you never want to live in a nursing home despite the disclaimer at the end. Revealing regarding the amount of young people in aged care facilities but I would have preferred to read a paper on this subject from the author than a fictional book with,at times, shallow, 2 dimensional characters. I feel this then took away from the important message the author is trying to convey.

[Victoria Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this audiobook. It was thoughtful, moving and surprisingly uplifting. Tracey felt incredibly real and I became very invested in her journey. It also really opened my eyes to the reality of institutional care and dependency, and how devastating the loss of autonomy and voice must be. The themes were handled with such compassion and emotional honesty. Katherine Tonkin’s narration was excellent too. One of those stories that quietly stays with you afterwards.

[Samantha Jenkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a book where the characters are colourful, the humour wry, and the topic could be viewed as dark. However there is growth, adaptation and a mystery being solved by those who know the reality of life in institutional living.
It is engaging from the very start and I know you will love Tracy.

[Jackie McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt a sense of loss when I finished this book and read in the afterword that the author isn't a person with quadriplegia. I felt the same way with Memoirs of a Geisha, a book about Asian women written by a Caucasian American man. Of course authors write about things they've never experienced all the time. However I think there's an intimacy to novels told in the first person, and there's some identities that are so marginalised and stigmatised it feels weird to co-opt them. However I did enjoy Geraldine Mellet's book. It's well-written, holds your interest, and makes you think about some key issues affecting younger Australians who have live changing injuries and find themselves "warehoused in a nursing home."

Mellet has clearly done research with people with disability: "My brain is buzzing with their certainty that my life is a waste, and I should end it." Mellet includes experiences of key disability advocates and the Disability Royal Commission in her narrative, like Carly Findlay on being prayed over: "This is what it feels like to be prayed for because of my disability. And it's not okay." Not being able to have a shower every day has also clearly come from the real experiences of people with quadriplegia: "The next day I was offered a sponge bath, which I took, but I felt like a kitchen bench that had has a patchy wipe-over." I think this book should be read by people who work in aged care.

There's also a nicely Australian character to the book, revealed mostly through bird life: "I hear the familiar wee-loo of Carnaby's black cockatoos passing overhead, likely on their way to roost at the very top of the lemon-scented gums." It gives a nice sense of place to the book, and shows how the protagonist's other senses are heightened by her loss of speech and movement: "I send my best hearing tendrils into the corridor to see what else I can piece together." I think the onus is now on me to find a book written by a person with quadriplegia to see if there's anything to my initial sense of loss.

With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for sending me a copy to read.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I had heard current affairs exposes on young people with disabilities being housed with old people in care as there was nothing else suitable for them, this brought the reality to light. I was angry for Tracey as she endured her situation. There were some caring staff but they were overworked. There were other cruel staff who

Journalist and disability rights ally Geraldine Mellet brings us a wry, clever and ultimately uplifting novel about a young woman, newly paralysed and voiceless, who must find a way to save the day. Tracey Read is well and truly trapped. A globetrotting engineer in her thirties, as adept at fixing failing projects as she is at avoiding commitment, she's now paralysed after a major accident and warehoused in an aged care facility she nicknames The Last Resort. For the first time in her life Tracey can't just get up and go - not unless she channels her former self and stages a breakout. Forced to interact with others who live and work in the 'home', Tracey overcomes her own prejudices to find pockets of kindness and community, and with each small moment of independence she claws back, she begins to recognise herself again. But as her analytical brain comes back online, Tracey notices something darker going on. When her suspicions are ignored by the people in charge, it's left to her to speak up, a tricky proposition given her voice disappeared on the day of the accident and no one knows if it's coming back. Underestimated, ignored, and facing the biggest challenge of her life, can Tracey expose the wrongdoing happening behind closed doors? And if she does, will she become the engine of her own story, or put everything at risk? PRAISE FOR THINGS I CANNOT SAY 'Mellet manages an amazing feat - a feisty character that has the reader simultaneously feeling shaken, punching the air, furious at the system and wryly smiling at the dark humour. A poignant story about what it is to be human - without shying away from the difficult stuff yet ultimately full of hope.' Anne Buist, co-author of The Glass House 'With wry wit and dark irony, Geraldine Mellet has crafted a novel that resonates with authenticity.' Shelley Davidow, author of The Girl with the Violin 'I loved this beautiful book, imbued as it is with heartache and humour, sharpness and wit, tragedy and hope.' Suzanne Leal, author of The Watchful Wife (less)

[Judy Backhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit to some misgivings when I started this book. Things I Cannot Say tells the story of Tracey Read, an engineer, paralysed after a vehicle accident. I’d read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby, a memoir composed after a stroke had left him paralysed and having to communicate by blinking his left eye, so I had already had the uncomfortable experience of trying to imagine such a life. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again.

But I’m glad I followed through. The book was surprisingly compelling. I finished it in three days. Tracey Read was a character I could relate to – someone independent and competent, used to being in control of her own life. She finds herself in a facility for the aged, which she calls ‘The Last Resort’, at the mercy of carers with varying understandings of the term ‘care’.

Tracey gradually regains some of her independence with the help of technology and a few sympathetic allies. In the process, she learns more about the facility, the others (old and young) who live there, and some of the less savoury goings-on. The story exposes some of the real challenges that are faced by the inmates, and makes a strong case that elder care facilities are not suitable places for younger people like Tracey. (Although I’m not sure that The Last Resort was much good for any of the older people staying there either.)

This is a story about agency, as Tracey finds her voice. The author uses her experience as a disability rights advocate to effectively communicate Tracey’s perspective and the indignities, neglect and dangers that arise in the care facility. My one reservation about the book is that the focus on the uncaring carers and management of The Last Resort (necessary antagonists to make a good story?) fails to recognise the excellent work done by so many aged care facilities. Outrage can be harsh on those who try, in difficult circumstances.

Although not my usual fare, I recommend it.

[Zamira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good read. A real page turner.

I absolutely love that the story was written from our main character, Tracey, point of view. Recently quadriplegic and unable to do any of the normal things she did in the past without help, it's very interesting to hear her thoughts and the way she communicates with everyone around her. Stuck in a nursing home as her point of care, it also gives an insight to the horrors that happen within the four walls and just how negligent the carers can be.

The story shows how Tracey made friends along the way, developed relationships with people who treated her normally and how she was able to move forward with her life.

Things I Cannot Say is written in a light, free flowing way that made it easy for the reader to stay tuned. The pacing of the book is great and the story overall was fantastic.

Thank you so much to HQAus for sending me an advanced copy to read.

[Steph Ricciardello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written and deeply emotional story. Following the journey of a quadriplegic woman who has endured immense trauma, pain, and loss, this book ultimately becomes a story of resilience, healing, and rediscovering purpose.

What stood out most to me was how authentically the story was told. It never felt exploitative or sensationalised - instead, it gave a powerful voice to experiences that are so often overlooked or misunderstood. The emotional depth of the characters and the honesty woven throughout the narrative made this such an impactful read.

I also know firsthand how much care, time, research, and dedication Geraldine Mellet poured into this book to ensure disability representation was handled respectfully and accurately, and that effort truly shines through on every page.

This was an inspiring, heartfelt, and important story that I’d absolutely recommend to readers looking for an emotional read with substance, strength, and hope.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankyou to Booktopia for an advance copy of this book. I really enjoyed entering Tracey's world and seeing the flawed human become a toe crushing badass (which is a power I wish I had when encountering those types of people). I'd definitely want to be friends with Tracey and the friends she collects along the way in the book.

This is a very powerful book that shines a light on the under discussed topic of younger people who have a variety of disabilities who are living in nursing homes. I knew a little about it going into the book, but it was very interesting to learn more about it. Hopefully the book shows that alternative models and really listening to people and giving them autonomy over their lives is so important.

[Gae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a big book, not just the 'spotlight' it shone on 'care' but in the writing, the hope reflected in the vulnerability, the hold each of has on life and the very real reality of the young placed into aged care which also comes up so short, the all that glitters not always reflecting 'the care' for our older folk all interwoven into a story that will reach your soul. I can only continue to hope that amid the warmth of the story others will continue to advocate for the young and the old alike who find themselves in need of such care and that there will be more action than just words, as powerful as those words may be.

[amy.inthelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Mellet shines a light on the vulnerability and strength of disability, and as someone who has worked in the disability field for the past few years I’m all too aware of some of the shortcomings that I’ve heard through the system. This was a fantastic insight to show awareness, and also show the resilience of Tracey and her friends in The Last Resort. I loved the friendships, as well as showing all the aids to help Traceys voice be heard. Very powerful.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book may have been a work of fiction I felt it was very much based on well researched fact. It felt honest and realistic (and for many readers I’m sure an eye opening insight) into not only the world of aged care but especially for those who have no choice even though their minds are still very much active (and especially those younger ones who don’t have many options but aged care)

[Anna Pianta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book like this. As an educational tool about what life might be like for a young person living within Aged care because of disability, it is profound. It is clear that her work as a journalist is woven within the lives of the characters. This book will sit with me for a long time.

Spoiler; for a trigger warning. SA.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So refreshing to read from the perspective of someone with minimal mobility and loss of voice. The experiences of a young person put in a Invalid care home were written by a person who had sought reality living and relating to others, staff and patients, in this situation Sad, funny, enfuriating!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. Written from the perspective of a young woman with a permanent disability living in an aged care facility. Though provoking, shocking and funny by turn it was a fantastic read. Recommended. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a page turner and had me on the edge of my seat. The main character is a funny, smart woman. This story is raw and entertaining. It was disturbing as it went to some uncomfortable places. It certainly stays with you.

[Anne Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Well written by Geraldine Mellet. Such a great idea to write this story to educate people on the tragedy of young disabled people being put into aged care. But also I now have a better understanding of those with a disability. They are people who get ignored and forgotten.

[Liane Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and very thought provoking. A great read.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that expanded my world view a bit. Danka

[Rosie Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️