Tuesday, February 13, 2024

War of the Words: Love Language Anguish

When speechwriter Nina Gregory's beloved hotel mogul father dies, she's heartbroken.  Whenever Nina told him, "I love you," he always responded, "More than words."  But as she begins to sift through his affairs, she learns that he wasn't the paragon he purported to be -- and that maybe she isn't who she thought she was either.

Jill Santopolo's More Than Words is a sympathetic look at a woman who communicates professionally but has trouble sharing her truth with loved ones.  One of the most symbolic stops on Nina's journey is a shopping spree to update her monochrome wardrobe:

"Nina loved the new her (too).  In these clothes, she felt confident and powerful.  Like someone worth noticing.  Like someone who would make bold choices, whatever they were." (244)

As Nina grows more vocal, she also grows stronger -- even when it means moving on from a career and relationship that once defined her.  

Because knowing herself means knowing peace.

And that's worth more than words. 

8 comments:

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

A friend of mine read this book and enjoyed it. You are the second person I’ve heard of who’s read it and liked it. I think I need to add this to my list of books to investigate.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Sounds like an interesting book. Where do find the books you read? Are they just authors that you like. Is there a recommended list. Just curious.

Hollyn'Stevie said...

Definitely, so true. I love the book cover! Happy Valentines Day ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Caitlin&Megan said...

Truly a beautiful them. I like how she is finding her true self. Such a beautiful review!🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷 All the best to a wonderful SweetHearts Day!

Ivy's Closet said...

Such a great review for Valentines Day! I will take note. Wishing you a fantastic Valentine's Day! 🩷❤️🤍🩷❤️

ellie said...

Oh what a week! So glad to see your lovely review..The Rocky Road went over well..and I made chicken salad with red grapes too (A retired clerk always made it..so many were glad to see the recipe at our potluck yesterday) We are also tagging items at the library which is quite the undertaking..Most of it falls on our department..so yeah, I am ready for the weekend..but at least I get to go out to eat today and a friend wants to go out for Chinese on Tuesday...plus..I finally found a Christie Barbie! And I don't have that one.

Happy Valentines Day❤️

Samantha said...

"Because knowing herself means knowing peace." - Wow!!! Love that! Also, the quote mentioning "In these clothes, she felt confident and powerful". It shows how much an outfit can impact us! Lastly, the cover of the book is absolutely stunning. Sounds like quite the powerful read! 💜💖

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Sounds like a book with a message and an interesting read! Thanks for the review.