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Unspoken
Unspoken
A dramatic family saga. A tale of secrets, love and revenge.
Alice is fast approaching her one hundredth birthday and she is dying. Her strange, graphic dreams of ghostly figures trying to pull her into a tunnel of blinding light are becoming more and more vivid and terrifying. Alice knows she only has a short time left and is desperate to unburden herself of the dark secret she has lived with for eighty years.
Jessica is her great granddaughter and a mirror image of a young Alice. They share dreadful luck in the types of men that come into their lives.
Alice shares her terrible secret with Jessica through a set of handwritten notebooks detailing her young life during the late 1930s. Following the death of her invalid mother and her father’s decline, she is forced, at 18, to take control of the farm. On her birthday, she meets Frank, a man with a drink problem and a violent temper.
When Frank’s abusive behaviour steps up a level. Alice seeks solace in the company of her smooth, ‘gangster lawyer’ Godfrey, and when Frank finds Alice in the arms of another man, he vows to get his revenge.
Unspoken. A tale that spans two eras and binds two women born eighty years apart.
A dramatic family saga. A tale of secrets, love and revenge.
Alice is fast approaching her one hundredth birthday and she is dying. Her strange, graphic dreams of ghostly figures trying to pull her into a tunnel of blinding light are becoming more and more vivid and terrifying. Alice knows she only has a short time left and is desperate to unburden herself of the dark secret she has lived with for eighty years.
Jessica is her great granddaughter and a mirror image of a young Alice. They share dreadful luck in the types of men that come into their lives.
Alice shares her terrible secret with Jessica through a set of handwritten notebooks detailing her young life during the late 1930s. Following the death of her invalid mother and her father’s decline, she is forced, at 18, to take control of the farm. On her birthday, she meets Frank, a man with a drink problem and a violent temper.
When Frank’s abusive behaviour steps up a level. Alice seeks solace in the company of her smooth, ‘gangster lawyer’ Godfrey, and when Frank finds Alice in the arms of another man, he vows to get his revenge.
Unspoken. A tale that spans two eras and binds two women born eighty years apart.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
409 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2020
114 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 3, 2020
Unspoken is a dual time family saga, with stories revolving around Alice and Jess. Alice is nearing her one hundredth birthday and decides that it is time to tell Jess about a long-kept secret. As the story evolves, it appears that both Alice and Jess had trouble with abusive men.
I liked the opening scenes of this book, in which there was the possibility of a dark sinister manipulator in the form of Jess’s partner, while the introduction to Alice as the family matriarch was intriguing. I enjoyed much of the interaction in the present time.
Alice narrates her own life-story, then later lets Jess read her diaries. Both of these methods ran into long monologues; I thought that if they had been clipped into interesting vignettes, they might have held my interest more. I was also unconvinced that Alice would remember such exact minutiae from eighty years ago; nor, during her hard farm life, would she have had the time to write such detailed diary entries. With a few tweaks to the way the backstory was told, the story could have been more compelling, and more convincing.
There were quite a few characters, of which my favourite was Alice, but I would have liked to see more individual aspects for the others; the writer slipped into stereotypes without grasping subtle feminine nuances. There was also an over fondness for the word ‘bloody’ during dialogue, used frequently by almost every character. It's a good story; it just needs some re-styling, and would benefit from the attention of a good editor.
I liked the opening scenes of this book, in which there was the possibility of a dark sinister manipulator in the form of Jess’s partner, while the introduction to Alice as the family matriarch was intriguing. I enjoyed much of the interaction in the present time.
Alice narrates her own life-story, then later lets Jess read her diaries. Both of these methods ran into long monologues; I thought that if they had been clipped into interesting vignettes, they might have held my interest more. I was also unconvinced that Alice would remember such exact minutiae from eighty years ago; nor, during her hard farm life, would she have had the time to write such detailed diary entries. With a few tweaks to the way the backstory was told, the story could have been more compelling, and more convincing.
There were quite a few characters, of which my favourite was Alice, but I would have liked to see more individual aspects for the others; the writer slipped into stereotypes without grasping subtle feminine nuances. There was also an over fondness for the word ‘bloody’ during dialogue, used frequently by almost every character. It's a good story; it just needs some re-styling, and would benefit from the attention of a good editor.
March 14, 2021
I can’t say I haven’t been taken in by Unspoken by T.A. Belshaw. Equally I can’t believe the journey this author has taken me on with my first read of his novels. Outstanding from the word go, with a great opening taking me straight into the action with immediate great concerns. Calvin is such a well-crafted character as equally is Jessica. It’s quite unbelievable really how two characters can be so realistically portrayed in so many situations, some humours, some traumatising that jump off the page making you cringe. I love Alice, too, who takes you into a second plot in her past times of her farmland up bringing and hidden secrets that will surprise you immensely x There Is so many in-depth details of the outside world too. Each chapter throws another light on the story so if you are looking for an exuberating, extensive read, written with realistic threads in this well perceived story, I can only say read it, get engaged with the many wonderful characters and descriptive scenes, It really is phenomenal in every way. An unbelievable 5* recommendation from me.
February 7, 2025
loved it!
These characters are so very alive and entertaining. At various times I wanted to bash one or another, and then with others I laughed out loud
These characters are so very alive and entertaining. At various times I wanted to bash one or another, and then with others I laughed out loud
October 26, 2020
Unspoken discusses the difficulties of being a woman in 1930s society as well as modern society from the eyes of a nearly 100-year-old woman named Alice and her 20-year-old great-granddaughter. I was completely wrapped up in this story from beginning to end, and I am excited to share my thoughts with you all.
Alice was attacked and impregnated at 18, which was nearly a death sentence for a young woman in the 1930s. She already ran her father’s farm so she was never going to be ruined economically, but she needed to find a way to get the father to stay with her in some form so she wouldn’t be socially destroyed. Putting up with Frank’s increasingly erratic and violent behavior is a lot, but dealing with it while pregnant and with a sick father is almost unbearable. Now, she is 100 years old and hasn’t seen Frank in many years, and decides to tell her story to her great-granddaughter during her final days. Jessica has been having trouble with her current boyfriend Calvin, but she refuses to let him keep her away from her Nana. Now, she is determined to hear Nana’s entire story before she passes away, and hopefully, it will give her the advice she needs on her current situation.
Nana/Alice took no crap from anyone. She was made to put up with a lot between her father and her child’s father, but she never wanted to be in that situation. She even refused to actually marry Frank, as she never loved him and never wanted to be bound to him. Her farm was her farm, no matter what Frank and her dad had to say about it. She never let her bad circumstances dampen her light, and continued to push through. I loved Alice with all my heart and was addicted to her story from beginning to end. Her moments spent chatting with her best friend Amy were some of my favorite moments in the entire novel. I wanted to know what her entire life had been like, as her character defied that 1930s “happy housewife” stereotype entirely. She was strong in a time when women were expected to be quiet and submissive, and this could be seen throughout all aspects of her character. The fact that she also went through all of this through the ages of 18-20 also made me respect her character just that much more.
I also loved how it was included that her children and grandchildren shunned her in some ways. This was sad to see, but it is realistic. Women were always blamed for the breaking apart of the family, even if they did their best to keep it together. She never told anyone the full story except for Jess, so I wonder how these facts would have affected her family’s view of her if they knew them while she was still alive?
Jess’ story was a bit less interesting to me, but it was realistic and moving all the same. Calvin’s POV is written often, so you know what is going through his head while he manipulates the women in his life. I believe this is a realistic perspective of an abusive relationship, from the experience I have had of friends telling me about their own toxic relationships. It may take a long time for the partner to become physically violent with the other, but that toxic emotional abuse can truly damage a person even more. I loved how caring Nana was to Jess. She knew Calvin was bad for her, but rather than always talking badly about him and trying to force her away from him, she just showered her in care until Jess grew the strength to make the choice for herself.
This story moved smoothly and I finished around half of it in one night, then finished the other half the next morning. I can’t wait to read more historical fiction by this author.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new historical fiction read.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 books.
Alice was attacked and impregnated at 18, which was nearly a death sentence for a young woman in the 1930s. She already ran her father’s farm so she was never going to be ruined economically, but she needed to find a way to get the father to stay with her in some form so she wouldn’t be socially destroyed. Putting up with Frank’s increasingly erratic and violent behavior is a lot, but dealing with it while pregnant and with a sick father is almost unbearable. Now, she is 100 years old and hasn’t seen Frank in many years, and decides to tell her story to her great-granddaughter during her final days. Jessica has been having trouble with her current boyfriend Calvin, but she refuses to let him keep her away from her Nana. Now, she is determined to hear Nana’s entire story before she passes away, and hopefully, it will give her the advice she needs on her current situation.
Nana/Alice took no crap from anyone. She was made to put up with a lot between her father and her child’s father, but she never wanted to be in that situation. She even refused to actually marry Frank, as she never loved him and never wanted to be bound to him. Her farm was her farm, no matter what Frank and her dad had to say about it. She never let her bad circumstances dampen her light, and continued to push through. I loved Alice with all my heart and was addicted to her story from beginning to end. Her moments spent chatting with her best friend Amy were some of my favorite moments in the entire novel. I wanted to know what her entire life had been like, as her character defied that 1930s “happy housewife” stereotype entirely. She was strong in a time when women were expected to be quiet and submissive, and this could be seen throughout all aspects of her character. The fact that she also went through all of this through the ages of 18-20 also made me respect her character just that much more.
I also loved how it was included that her children and grandchildren shunned her in some ways. This was sad to see, but it is realistic. Women were always blamed for the breaking apart of the family, even if they did their best to keep it together. She never told anyone the full story except for Jess, so I wonder how these facts would have affected her family’s view of her if they knew them while she was still alive?
Jess’ story was a bit less interesting to me, but it was realistic and moving all the same. Calvin’s POV is written often, so you know what is going through his head while he manipulates the women in his life. I believe this is a realistic perspective of an abusive relationship, from the experience I have had of friends telling me about their own toxic relationships. It may take a long time for the partner to become physically violent with the other, but that toxic emotional abuse can truly damage a person even more. I loved how caring Nana was to Jess. She knew Calvin was bad for her, but rather than always talking badly about him and trying to force her away from him, she just showered her in care until Jess grew the strength to make the choice for herself.
This story moved smoothly and I finished around half of it in one night, then finished the other half the next morning. I can’t wait to read more historical fiction by this author.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new historical fiction read.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 books.
October 25, 2020
If there’s one thing I like doing, it’s discovering new authors. T. A. Belshaw is certainly a new author for me, but I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Unspoken’ and then some.
I have to say that I loved the characters of Alice and Jessica. Alice is almost a hundred years old and she is convinced that she is dying, which is when she decides to tell Jessica, who is her great granddaughter, her (Alice’s) life story. To say that she has lived one hell of a life is an understatement. Alice has been up against it in the past and she has been on the receiving end of abuse of one way or another. Alice is the sort of woman I could listen to for ages as she is just so interesting. Jessica is very much like her great grandmother in nature and characteristics. Jessica has her own problems with the odious Calvin. I won’t go into too much detail but needless to say that he is an abusive bully, who treats Jessica like dirt. Alice and Jessica adore each other and they share a very tight bond.
Oh my word, I was addicted to ‘Unspoken’ from the moment I read the synopsis. As soon as I started reading, I knew that my plans for the rest of the day involved a lot of reading and not much moving. To say that I became addicted to reading ‘Unspoken’ is a massive understatement. I would pick my Kinde up only intending to read a couple of chapters to dip my toe in the water so to speak but I became so wrapped up in the story that I read a lot more than any couple of chapters. Part of the attraction of the book were the two strong female leads and I had to know how the story panned out for them both. I must admit that I had to know what happened to Calvin too as I despised him. I was all for jumping inside the pages of the book to sort him out myself. I soon seemed to charge through this book and the first time I looked to check how much I had read, I was shocked to realise that I had read over a quarter of the book in one go.
‘Unspoken’ is superbly written. I was blown away by the story, the characters and the author’s writing style. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story without you realising it. The story is written using different timelines and chapters are written from the point of view of the different characters. Alice forms a huge part of this story and chapters are written from her point of view in the present and other chapters are narrated by Alice and describes what happened to her in the past- her life story to put it another way. I was gripped by this story from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Unspoken’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of T. A. Belshaw’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I have to say that I loved the characters of Alice and Jessica. Alice is almost a hundred years old and she is convinced that she is dying, which is when she decides to tell Jessica, who is her great granddaughter, her (Alice’s) life story. To say that she has lived one hell of a life is an understatement. Alice has been up against it in the past and she has been on the receiving end of abuse of one way or another. Alice is the sort of woman I could listen to for ages as she is just so interesting. Jessica is very much like her great grandmother in nature and characteristics. Jessica has her own problems with the odious Calvin. I won’t go into too much detail but needless to say that he is an abusive bully, who treats Jessica like dirt. Alice and Jessica adore each other and they share a very tight bond.
Oh my word, I was addicted to ‘Unspoken’ from the moment I read the synopsis. As soon as I started reading, I knew that my plans for the rest of the day involved a lot of reading and not much moving. To say that I became addicted to reading ‘Unspoken’ is a massive understatement. I would pick my Kinde up only intending to read a couple of chapters to dip my toe in the water so to speak but I became so wrapped up in the story that I read a lot more than any couple of chapters. Part of the attraction of the book were the two strong female leads and I had to know how the story panned out for them both. I must admit that I had to know what happened to Calvin too as I despised him. I was all for jumping inside the pages of the book to sort him out myself. I soon seemed to charge through this book and the first time I looked to check how much I had read, I was shocked to realise that I had read over a quarter of the book in one go.
‘Unspoken’ is superbly written. I was blown away by the story, the characters and the author’s writing style. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story without you realising it. The story is written using different timelines and chapters are written from the point of view of the different characters. Alice forms a huge part of this story and chapters are written from her point of view in the present and other chapters are narrated by Alice and describes what happened to her in the past- her life story to put it another way. I was gripped by this story from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Unspoken’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of T. A. Belshaw’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
October 25, 2020
I'm a big fan of family saga/dual time novels and as soon as I read the blurb for Unspoken I knew that I had to read it.
Alice has been keeping a dark secret, and with her one hundreth birthday looming fast, she decides that it's time to share this secret with her much-loved great grandaughter, Jess. The question is - how will Jess react to her revelation?
The telling of Alice's secret is through her diaries, which have been squirelled away in the attic, safe from prying eyes until now.
Alice didn't have much luck growing up. Her father turns to drink after her mother's death and Alice finds herself having to keep the family farm running at the tender age of 18. Then she meets Frank, who brings a whole host of problems to her door.
While reading through Alice's diaries, Jess soon realises that their lives are very similar, as she has a man in her life who is causing her problems, in the form of live-in boyfriend Calvin.
Unspoken is a wonderful, all encompassing, book that I devoured in a few days. I loved the relationship between Alice and Jess. It was clear that there was a strong bond between the pair right from the beginning, but this grew as the story developed and Jess found out more about Alice's youth. Both character's were so superbly written that I felt like I was right there in the book with them. The treatment that these two women received from their respective partners was, at times shocking, but both Frank and Calvin were men who made poor life choices.
The transitions between time frames was seamless with both stories holding my interest. I found Alice's story particularly interesting, with her life on the farm and the author clearly did a lot of research on farming practices as well as social attitudes of the time for these parts of the book.
If family saga's and dual time novels are your thing, you'd be hard pushed to find a more enjoyable one than Unspoken. It's got drama, love, intrigue, revenge and secrets - so basically everything you need for a captivating read and that's exactly what I thought it was. I've also heard on the grapevine that there will be a sequel. I really hope that this is the case, but failing that, another book from this talented author would make me very happy!
Alice has been keeping a dark secret, and with her one hundreth birthday looming fast, she decides that it's time to share this secret with her much-loved great grandaughter, Jess. The question is - how will Jess react to her revelation?
The telling of Alice's secret is through her diaries, which have been squirelled away in the attic, safe from prying eyes until now.
Alice didn't have much luck growing up. Her father turns to drink after her mother's death and Alice finds herself having to keep the family farm running at the tender age of 18. Then she meets Frank, who brings a whole host of problems to her door.
While reading through Alice's diaries, Jess soon realises that their lives are very similar, as she has a man in her life who is causing her problems, in the form of live-in boyfriend Calvin.
Unspoken is a wonderful, all encompassing, book that I devoured in a few days. I loved the relationship between Alice and Jess. It was clear that there was a strong bond between the pair right from the beginning, but this grew as the story developed and Jess found out more about Alice's youth. Both character's were so superbly written that I felt like I was right there in the book with them. The treatment that these two women received from their respective partners was, at times shocking, but both Frank and Calvin were men who made poor life choices.
The transitions between time frames was seamless with both stories holding my interest. I found Alice's story particularly interesting, with her life on the farm and the author clearly did a lot of research on farming practices as well as social attitudes of the time for these parts of the book.
If family saga's and dual time novels are your thing, you'd be hard pushed to find a more enjoyable one than Unspoken. It's got drama, love, intrigue, revenge and secrets - so basically everything you need for a captivating read and that's exactly what I thought it was. I've also heard on the grapevine that there will be a sequel. I really hope that this is the case, but failing that, another book from this talented author would make me very happy!
October 22, 2020
I actually read the whole book in one day. Each time I was about to put it down I saw another chapter about one of the characters and I though ‘just one more bit’ until I realised it was one in the morning and I was almost finished. Just had to get to the end.
Jess has allowed herself to be treated like a doormat by her live-in boyfriend Calvin. I can honestly say that I disliked Calvin more than any other character – not just in this book – but in others I have read recently. I even disliked him more than Frank who came from an age where many men behaved like that, but Calvin didn’t even have that excuse (not that it’s EVER an excuse).
As for the behaviour of some of the others! Sam (calls herself Jess’s best friend – with friends like that who needs enemies as they say) and Tania. Tania? Words fail me. What were they thinking. Poor Jess. But she has her great-grandmother Alice (who is almost 100 years old) who she calls Nana. Calvin even mocks Jess for calling her Nana.
Anyway, back to the story. Alice has a terrible secret which she wants to tell Jess so she can unburden herself before her time comes. She knows it’s near. She dreams about a tunnel and going towards the white light. This was a teeny bit corny at times – sorry. Anyway she begins to tell Jess all about her childhood, growing up on a farm, her family, the pigs (yes they are important – all will be revealed) and the night she first ‘encountered’ Frank. Some of this is all rather harrowing but there is comedy in her friendship with feisty Amy, who lives just up the road.
Alice finds herself pregnant at 18 thanks to that ‘encounter’. I found her attitude towards her baby rather unsettling. Much as I liked Alice I couldn’t understand that part. No wonder her daughters grew up to be so awful. But I digress.
As Alice grows weary and struggles to continue her story, she tells Jess to go in the attic and get a box containing her memoirs. Everything she needs to know is in there.
This is a great story in spite of the tunnel and white light (all a bit Poltergeist) and I really enjoyed it. It would have been good to know more about afterwards but I gather there’s a sequel coming.
Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to part of #damppebblesblogtours
Jess has allowed herself to be treated like a doormat by her live-in boyfriend Calvin. I can honestly say that I disliked Calvin more than any other character – not just in this book – but in others I have read recently. I even disliked him more than Frank who came from an age where many men behaved like that, but Calvin didn’t even have that excuse (not that it’s EVER an excuse).
As for the behaviour of some of the others! Sam (calls herself Jess’s best friend – with friends like that who needs enemies as they say) and Tania. Tania? Words fail me. What were they thinking. Poor Jess. But she has her great-grandmother Alice (who is almost 100 years old) who she calls Nana. Calvin even mocks Jess for calling her Nana.
Anyway, back to the story. Alice has a terrible secret which she wants to tell Jess so she can unburden herself before her time comes. She knows it’s near. She dreams about a tunnel and going towards the white light. This was a teeny bit corny at times – sorry. Anyway she begins to tell Jess all about her childhood, growing up on a farm, her family, the pigs (yes they are important – all will be revealed) and the night she first ‘encountered’ Frank. Some of this is all rather harrowing but there is comedy in her friendship with feisty Amy, who lives just up the road.
Alice finds herself pregnant at 18 thanks to that ‘encounter’. I found her attitude towards her baby rather unsettling. Much as I liked Alice I couldn’t understand that part. No wonder her daughters grew up to be so awful. But I digress.
As Alice grows weary and struggles to continue her story, she tells Jess to go in the attic and get a box containing her memoirs. Everything she needs to know is in there.
This is a great story in spite of the tunnel and white light (all a bit Poltergeist) and I really enjoyed it. It would have been good to know more about afterwards but I gather there’s a sequel coming.
Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to part of #damppebblesblogtours
October 21, 2020
Oh my goodness! Such an epic story of love, loss, secrets and absolutely shocking revelations that was impossible to put down! This book was such a pleasant surprise and I’m so glad I gave something out of my comfort zone the chance.
This story surprised me so much. I usually stay away from anything historical, but the synopsis piqued my interest! This book is quite possibly one of the most involving books I’ve read this year, with a sprinkle of unexpected family drama that I couldn’t get enough of! There’s emotion around every corner and the author has created a memorable group of characters who are more like family than just fictional creations. If you love books with a little history, romance and family ties, you’ll love this one!
You can read my full review over on my blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/10...
This story surprised me so much. I usually stay away from anything historical, but the synopsis piqued my interest! This book is quite possibly one of the most involving books I’ve read this year, with a sprinkle of unexpected family drama that I couldn’t get enough of! There’s emotion around every corner and the author has created a memorable group of characters who are more like family than just fictional creations. If you love books with a little history, romance and family ties, you’ll love this one!
You can read my full review over on my blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/10...
January 25, 2021
I'm finding it hard to judge this book without relating it to what I have realised are my reading requirements at this strange time.
The novel is well-written, the topics covered are interesting and it is exactly what it claims to be: a saga. But as I was reading it, at the end of a year that's been frankly boring, I realised I needed more excitment in the stories I read. Fortunately, the excitement level of the novel rose at the end, but there was plenty to get through before that. I did enjoy being in a different era, in which everything was different apart from the people themselves. Is there no hope for changing the human race?
Commas also bothered me as I read. There is a surplus of them, many inserted in places where reading would flow much better without them. But overall, this is an excellent read with an important message.
The novel is well-written, the topics covered are interesting and it is exactly what it claims to be: a saga. But as I was reading it, at the end of a year that's been frankly boring, I realised I needed more excitment in the stories I read. Fortunately, the excitement level of the novel rose at the end, but there was plenty to get through before that. I did enjoy being in a different era, in which everything was different apart from the people themselves. Is there no hope for changing the human race?
Commas also bothered me as I read. There is a surplus of them, many inserted in places where reading would flow much better without them. But overall, this is an excellent read with an important message.
March 24, 2024
I LOVE this book; it is the Bee’s Knees!
What a fabulous tale is woven throughout the generations, love, friendship, deceit, secrets, and betrayal, who could ask for more.
A beautifully written book with captivating characters who steal your heart and have you cheering them on from the side-lines.
The story is centred around Alice, who is nearly a 100 and her great granddaughter Jess. Alice needs to tell her story before it is too late and Jess is her confidant, and what a story it is. Mainly set in Alice’s younger days in the 1930’s with parts of Jess’s life now, you are honestly hooked from the start.
You need to forget anything else you have to planned do as once you start reading this book you will not want to put it down.
Happy Reading.
What a fabulous tale is woven throughout the generations, love, friendship, deceit, secrets, and betrayal, who could ask for more.
A beautifully written book with captivating characters who steal your heart and have you cheering them on from the side-lines.
The story is centred around Alice, who is nearly a 100 and her great granddaughter Jess. Alice needs to tell her story before it is too late and Jess is her confidant, and what a story it is. Mainly set in Alice’s younger days in the 1930’s with parts of Jess’s life now, you are honestly hooked from the start.
You need to forget anything else you have to planned do as once you start reading this book you will not want to put it down.
Happy Reading.
September 2, 2020
Once I started reading this book, I simply couldn't put it down. I liked how the lives of Alice and Jess intertwined in the story. There are many similarities between their two lives although generations apart.
It is inevitably a story about survival, but also hosts, lies, deceit, betrayal, jealousy and the most precious gift of true friendship.
Alice feels her end is nigh (99 years old) and needs to reveal a dark secret she has carried her entire adult life. Will Jess accept the truth without judgement.
On a personal note, I enjoyed the detailed description of farming life all those years ago.
A thoroughly worthwhile read.
It is inevitably a story about survival, but also hosts, lies, deceit, betrayal, jealousy and the most precious gift of true friendship.
Alice feels her end is nigh (99 years old) and needs to reveal a dark secret she has carried her entire adult life. Will Jess accept the truth without judgement.
On a personal note, I enjoyed the detailed description of farming life all those years ago.
A thoroughly worthwhile read.
October 24, 2020
Review:
Unspoken by T.A. Belshaw is a wonderful family saga. It was excellently written, with intrigue from beginning to end.
I love when it is easy to connect with characters. These characters were so realistic and easy to get to know. The dual timeline was executed perfectly, which allowed the reader to learn about the characters.
The attention to detail is fantastic. I really enjoyed Unspoken and highly recommend it. It is heart warming and full of drama and love.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Damppebbles Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
Unspoken by T.A. Belshaw is a wonderful family saga. It was excellently written, with intrigue from beginning to end.
I love when it is easy to connect with characters. These characters were so realistic and easy to get to know. The dual timeline was executed perfectly, which allowed the reader to learn about the characters.
The attention to detail is fantastic. I really enjoyed Unspoken and highly recommend it. It is heart warming and full of drama and love.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Damppebbles Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
April 26, 2021
As Alice approaches her 100th birthday, she wants her great granddaughter, Jess to write her story.
As Alice tells her about her life, she takes Jess back to the 1930’s.
Jess lives in a flat with Calvin, a mean and sadistic man. He is no good for Jess but can she get him out of her life?
The author has a wonderful way of telling the two stories, Alice’s younger years and Jess’s life now.
With many secrets to tell, will Alice live long enough to reveal all?
An emotional read that had me hooked very quickly. The characters are written well & I had quite an affection for Alice and felt for the hard life she had led. A great start to the series.
As Alice tells her about her life, she takes Jess back to the 1930’s.
Jess lives in a flat with Calvin, a mean and sadistic man. He is no good for Jess but can she get him out of her life?
The author has a wonderful way of telling the two stories, Alice’s younger years and Jess’s life now.
With many secrets to tell, will Alice live long enough to reveal all?
An emotional read that had me hooked very quickly. The characters are written well & I had quite an affection for Alice and felt for the hard life she had led. A great start to the series.
February 18, 2021
Alice and Jessica
Reading Alice's story and about Jessica what a wonderful book Alice had a hard life with Frank like Jessica did with Callum they were so alike but the two women had good friends in Sam and Amy I definitely give this book 5 stars and hope there's a follow up.
Reading Alice's story and about Jessica what a wonderful book Alice had a hard life with Frank like Jessica did with Callum they were so alike but the two women had good friends in Sam and Amy I definitely give this book 5 stars and hope there's a follow up.
August 15, 2020
Unique
I pictured and enjoyed every character, also did my detective work throughout. Read it in record time so it's what they call a 'page-turner' I believe.
I pictured and enjoyed every character, also did my detective work throughout. Read it in record time so it's what they call a 'page-turner' I believe.
October 6, 2020
Brilliant
I enjoyed this book so much,a lovely story ,a lot I can relate too,I'm sorry I have finished it too
I enjoyed this book so much,a lovely story ,a lot I can relate too,I'm sorry I have finished it too
January 31, 2021
What an amazing story! I loved the relationship between Alice (Nana) and her great-granddaughter, Jess. Their lives mirror one another's in so many ways.
I highly recommend this book if you like dual-timeline stories which down to earth, real characters.
I highly recommend this book if you like dual-timeline stories which down to earth, real characters.
October 8, 2023
Hooked by page 6 loved it can’t wait to get the next books
November 29, 2025
Excellent. Plan to read more books by this author
August 13, 2020
This is a truly great book. I’m not usually a reader of family saga stories but during lockdown I challenged myself to try a new genre and I am so glad I did. From the first page I felt I was part of the story, captured by characters that were both believable and well rounded, some were loveable and some well, I’ll leave it to you to find out. The switch between the timeframes as the different generations tell their particular stories was seamless and extremely well written. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heart-warming story filled with love, humour and true determination but with an unexpected twist at the end.
I will certainly read more by this author and eagerly await the sequel.
I will certainly read more by this author and eagerly await the sequel.
October 8, 2020
Belshaw’s poignant latest, a tale of family secrets, love, betrayal, and revenge, delivers atmosphere and plotting as well as nicely modulated characters.
With her husband’s aptitude for relentless nagging and bullying, Jessica is trapped in an unhappy marriage. When a long-buried secret of her almost hundred-year-old great grandmother Alice becomes known to Jessica, she realizes that they both have more in common between them than their looks: they share dreadful luck in the types of men that come into their life.
Belshaw skillfully handles the narrative shift into past and present, keeping both the momentum and pacing of the story smooth. Jessica’s nonchalant dismissal of her husband’s escalating aggression are frustratingly vexing and yet rooted in reality.
Alice, with her inherent stubbornness and charm remains a consistently appealing companion. Her turbulent story as she endures hardships and betrayals highlights the biases faced by women during 19th-century.
The circumstances by which Jessica finally draws strength from Alice’s story are both unpredictable and moving.
This is a winner.
With her husband’s aptitude for relentless nagging and bullying, Jessica is trapped in an unhappy marriage. When a long-buried secret of her almost hundred-year-old great grandmother Alice becomes known to Jessica, she realizes that they both have more in common between them than their looks: they share dreadful luck in the types of men that come into their life.
Belshaw skillfully handles the narrative shift into past and present, keeping both the momentum and pacing of the story smooth. Jessica’s nonchalant dismissal of her husband’s escalating aggression are frustratingly vexing and yet rooted in reality.
Alice, with her inherent stubbornness and charm remains a consistently appealing companion. Her turbulent story as she endures hardships and betrayals highlights the biases faced by women during 19th-century.
The circumstances by which Jessica finally draws strength from Alice’s story are both unpredictable and moving.
This is a winner.
September 30, 2020
A soul-stirring page turner.
Unspoken is a story of love, secrets, and revenge with intense characters that'll stay with you for long.
Full of drama and spine tingling turns, this work of fiction will tie the readers in an intense spell.
Set in late 1930s, a throbbing tale of love is fast-paced passionate journey and an evocative experience.
Ace characterization with real to life characters that are equally dramatic and exciting.
Belshaw's writing is poignant with descriptive prose. Manoeuvre and vivifying narration makes it a powerful read.
An addictive read; it'll absorb you to the deepest depths.
Highly recommended to readers of women's fiction, drama, and family saga. Looking forward to future works of T.A. Belshaw
Unspoken is a story of love, secrets, and revenge with intense characters that'll stay with you for long.
Full of drama and spine tingling turns, this work of fiction will tie the readers in an intense spell.
Set in late 1930s, a throbbing tale of love is fast-paced passionate journey and an evocative experience.
Ace characterization with real to life characters that are equally dramatic and exciting.
Belshaw's writing is poignant with descriptive prose. Manoeuvre and vivifying narration makes it a powerful read.
An addictive read; it'll absorb you to the deepest depths.
Highly recommended to readers of women's fiction, drama, and family saga. Looking forward to future works of T.A. Belshaw
November 26, 2024
Just to be a little different, I’ll start at the end and tell you I finished this book feeling quite emotional. Also quite pleased to discover this is just book one of a series following the family I now feel quite closely connected to. So guess who will be investing in more T A Belshaw, yep, that’ll be me.
It’s uncanny how occasionally history will repeat itself, and not always in a good way. This story follows Alice and her great grand-daughter Jess. Alice is almost 100 years old and can feel her live ebbing away. She has held a secret since 1938, a secret never to be spoken, but now that Alice is dying she wants to tell her secret to Jess before she leaves this world. Maybe to unburden herself, or have someone understand who she really is, and Jess is definitely her best bet on that score.
Her greedy ass daughter and grand-daughter have never seen Alice for who she is.
They are bitter, mean spirited entitled women who make poor choices with money and men. Enough said about that pair.
That said, poor choices in men seems to be hard wired into every generation in this family from Alice downwards.
All the main women in this book have a sad tale to tell in one form or another. Alice, her mother, her mother-in-law (of sorts, you’ll figure that out), her daughter, her grand-daughter and now Jess, her great grand-daughter. Even the supporting characters, Miriam and Gwen have tales of loneliness.
The main male characters also have a bit of theme threaded through them, they are all cads of varying degrees, from the selfish adulterers to the outright murderous.
I apologise if that sets this up as a maudlin read. It is anything but. This story had me cursing, emotional and laughing out loud. At one point I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard I had to take a minute.
Is it worth a read?? Of course it is.
It’s uncanny how occasionally history will repeat itself, and not always in a good way. This story follows Alice and her great grand-daughter Jess. Alice is almost 100 years old and can feel her live ebbing away. She has held a secret since 1938, a secret never to be spoken, but now that Alice is dying she wants to tell her secret to Jess before she leaves this world. Maybe to unburden herself, or have someone understand who she really is, and Jess is definitely her best bet on that score.
Her greedy ass daughter and grand-daughter have never seen Alice for who she is.
They are bitter, mean spirited entitled women who make poor choices with money and men. Enough said about that pair.
That said, poor choices in men seems to be hard wired into every generation in this family from Alice downwards.
All the main women in this book have a sad tale to tell in one form or another. Alice, her mother, her mother-in-law (of sorts, you’ll figure that out), her daughter, her grand-daughter and now Jess, her great grand-daughter. Even the supporting characters, Miriam and Gwen have tales of loneliness.
The main male characters also have a bit of theme threaded through them, they are all cads of varying degrees, from the selfish adulterers to the outright murderous.
I apologise if that sets this up as a maudlin read. It is anything but. This story had me cursing, emotional and laughing out loud. At one point I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard I had to take a minute.
Is it worth a read?? Of course it is.
February 23, 2025
So Disappointing
I read this book with interest and enthusiasm for the writing. I did not realize it was a series and was shocked at the inconclusive ending, I never read a series just for this reason. The story itself was interesting until it became a sick and violent event. I will not be reading the next book as I feel the author is incapable of completing a book.
I read this book with interest and enthusiasm for the writing. I did not realize it was a series and was shocked at the inconclusive ending, I never read a series just for this reason. The story itself was interesting until it became a sick and violent event. I will not be reading the next book as I feel the author is incapable of completing a book.
February 21, 2021
Intriguing
Love the story, normally I am not keen on stories that keep going back in time but this was written so well
Love the story, normally I am not keen on stories that keep going back in time but this was written so well
October 13, 2022
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A heart warming novel set in WWII. Highly recommend.
April 28, 2025
Trouble with men
Enjoyed both time frames of the story. The female characters seem to all pick the worst men. Near the end is where it really picks up.
Enjoyed both time frames of the story. The female characters seem to all pick the worst men. Near the end is where it really picks up.
June 26, 2025
Quite long-winded story but interesting parallels of grandmother and granddaughter. Looking forward to more of this series of books, I think 6 parts.
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