Book Review | Every Word Unsaid

Bethany House, Books Review, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels, Writing Spot

Today’s book review features

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy.

Book Blurb

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family’s constant disappointment. As the nation’s most fearless–and reviled–columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal at the worst possible moment, she’s forced to leave America entirely.

Arriving in India, she expects only a nice visit with childhood friends, siblings Catherine and Gabriel, and adventures that will further her career. Instead, she finds herself facing a plague epidemic, confusion over Gabriel’s sudden appeal, and the realization that what she wants from life is changing.

As she grows closer to friends, old and new, and allows their words of truth to heal parched places, she pictures a new future. But when the fallout of her past decisions finds her in India, will it ruin her chance to finally stop running?

From Goodreads

Author Information

Discover more about Kimberly Duffy at: kimberlyduffy.com.

Danielle’s Review

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy takes readers to the heart of India in the late 1800s.

Gussie, an American white woman and daughter of a wealthy New York family is trapped by her own culture’s gender roles. She fights them by traveling and writing about her experiences until her until scandal forces her to chose to conform or leave the country. She chooses the later and escapes to India and the home of her childhood best friends, one of whom is a mission doctor in a poorer neighborhood.

We follow Gussie as she comes face-to-face with the differences between how she grew up, her personal struggles, and the plight of women, children, and widows in India. We see her struggle with the change this brings about in her versus the expectations laid upon her. Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, her story unfolds.

Every Word Unsaid kept me reading though there were times when the story was more descriptive than I prefer, but it was also filled with imagery and attempted to draw readers to another place entirely. The romance was subtle, but the hero wonderful. And while there were difficult scenes and themes, that is a big reason why I recommend reading it.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Retail Links

Amazon | BN.com | Indiebound
Goodreads | BookBub


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *