Things We Didn’t Say

THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY

What makes up a family? For Casey it’s sharing a house with her fiancé, Michael, and his three children, whom she intends to nurture better than she ever took care of her self. But Casey’s plans have come undone. Michael’s silences have grown unfathomable and deep. His daughter Angel seethes as only a teenage girl can, while the wide-eyed youngest, Jewel, quietly takes it all in.

Then, son Dylan runs off and the kids’ mother, a woman never afraid to say just what she thinks, noisily barges into the home. That’s when Casey decides that the silences can no longer continue. She must begin speaking the words no one else can say. She’ll have to dig up secrets—including her own—uncovering hurts, and beginning healing that is too long overdue. And it all begins with just a few tentative words….

PRAISE & REVIEWS

“Riggle mesmerizes and enchants with this hope-filled, honest and remarkably raw tour-de-force.”
– Examiner.com “Book of the Week”

“Women’s literature has another promising writer in Kristina Riggle. Her latest work, THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY, is an imaginative drama about the consequences of hidden secrets and how they alter human relationships in a family that is struggling to blend and bond together.”
The Daily News

“She brings us a sympathetic, flawed heroine who finds the strength to speak up for herself and those she’s come to care about. An emotionally stirring piece that will resonate long after the last page is read.”
—RT Top Pick

“The historic home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where most of the book is set, takes on the presence of another character, while the constrained time period adds to the intimate feel of this absorbing novel about a blended family.”
Booklist

“An involving portrayal of the obstacles confronting today’s families.”
Publishers Weekly

“Riggle paints with exquisite care a not-so-pretty picture of modern life, when running away can seem like the only option if it promises just a little bit of freedom.”
Library Journal

“Don’t open the first page of this novel unless you’re prepared to sacrifice all other commitments for the next 48 hours or so! This is Riggle’s best yet. Compelling, believable, and full of delicious twists, this story will forever change how you relate to strangers, friends, and even family—reminding you that everyone you meet might be carrying her own secret struggles.”
—Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals and The Kindness of Strangers

“In this moving and captivating novel, Kristina Riggle explores with depth and honesty the question of how we define a family, and the myriad ways we all seek to shed our difficult pasts. Things We Didn’t Say is impossible to put down, and even harder to let go of.”
—Julie Buxbaum, author of The Opposite of Love and After You