Blog Archives
Unspoken
Unspoken is a deeply personal and emotionally raw autobiographical novel that follows the harrowing journey of two boys, Williams and Tega, who suffer and survive sexual abuse. Told through alternating narratives, the book plunges into the terrifying silence many male victims are forced to live with, capturing the confusion, betrayal, and eventual resilience that arise in the aftermath of trauma. At its core, this is a story about reclaiming power, finding one’s voice, and pushing back against a society that often ignores or mocks male victims of abuse.
Emecheta writes with a kind of honesty that cuts to the bone. He tells it like it is. I found myself angry, gutted, even ashamed at times, not at the victims, but at the adults who failed them and at the systems that let abusers slip through unnoticed. The storytelling isn’t polished in a literary sense, but it’s blisteringly authentic. The language is raw and emotional, which works in its favor. His use of direct narration, flashbacks, and interior dialogue brings you so close to the trauma that you almost want to look away, but you can’t.
Healing isn’t linear, and trauma tends to loop, not walk a straight line. What the book lacks in polish, it makes up for in courage. There’s nothing easy or neat here, and it doesn’t try to give false closure. The characters don’t get perfect justice, and the parents don’t suddenly transform into loving, attentive caregivers. It felt real, and maybe that’s why it hurt and helped so much.
But what I really appreciated was that this book didn’t just stay in the trauma. It showed the fight to break free. The courage it took to speak. The relief of being believed. And the stumbling, uneven path toward healing. It made me cry, yes, but it also made me hopeful. Emecheta’s honesty is unflinching, but his compassion is just as powerful. The story doesn’t just expose the abuse. It shines a light on what it means to reclaim yourself after being broken.
Pages: 98 | ISBN : 978776291X
UNSPOKEN
Jann Alexander’s Unspoken transports readers to the bleak and unrelenting dust storms of the 1930s Texas Panhandle, blending a vivid historical backdrop with heart-wrenching family drama. The novel opens with Ruby Lee, a young girl, grappling with the twin tragedies of her grandmother’s and baby sister’s deaths. Through her eyes, we witness the despair of her family as they fight for survival in a time and place where hope is as scarce as rain. The story spans Ruby’s journey from her dust-laden home to Waco and beyond, interweaving themes of resilience, sacrifice, and belonging.
Alexander’s prose is breathtakingly visceral. Her descriptions of the black blizzards felt suffocating. The moment in the opening chapter where Ruby witnesses birds panicking inside the church while a dust storm barrels toward them was especially haunting. The interplay of nature’s fury and human helplessness sets a tone of impending doom that lingers throughout the novel. This strong, sensory writing was a highlight.
The story shines brightest in its quieter, emotional moments. Ruby’s internal struggle after being sent to live with Cousin Bess in Waco adds depth to her character. I felt her rage and heartbreak as she battled feelings of abandonment and alienation. Her mute defiance, coupled with her obsession over colors and rain, was both poignant and relatable. However, some of the flashbacks, particularly those involving her mother’s mental deterioration, left me craving more development to fully understand their fractured bond.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Unspoken is its exploration of human resilience. Despite their desperate circumstances, Ruby’s family clings to slivers of hope. Her father’s quiet determination to rebuild their farm and Ruby’s eventual journey toward self-discovery remind us that even in the harshest conditions, life persists.
Unspoken is an evocative story best suited for readers who appreciate historical fiction steeped in grit and emotional intensity. Fans of novels like The Grapes of Wrath or The Nightingale will likely feel at home here. I recommend it for anyone ready to weather an emotional storm in exchange for a beautifully written tale of survival and hope.
Pages: 426 | ASIN : B0F2GMQF75
LITERARY TITAN 