Words We Cannot Say

“Over the course of the novel, Romero's portrayal of women's experiences with and conversations about abortion, infertility, and nontraditional marriage have an honesty that's refreshing, and they give clear voice to many women's silent struggles."

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Labor and delivery nurse Penelope is an expert at her job but a complete mess when it comes to her personal life. After her boyfriend dumps her in favor of saving his marriage, Penelope discovers she’s pregnant. Now Penelope must face motherhood, her greatest fear, or consider the alternatives.

Jesenia, a first-generation American, made her mark as a model then quit the business in favor of a nine-to-five and wedded bliss. After three years of fertility treatments and pressure from her family, trying to become a mother is her full-time job. But when her past mistakes threaten her chances, Nia will have to confront her youthful choices and over-involved family’s opinions on bloodlines if she wants to become a mother.

If choosing a homebirth and nursing a toddler don’t make Lotus unconventional, growing up in a commune and choosing a polyamorous marriage certainly do. After her grandfather’s unexpected death and the inheritance of his Victorian home, Lotus just wants to run her business, take care of her family, and live in her version of normal. That peace is threatened by her husband’s former lover, the end of his sobriety, and a new love interest, all of which will turn her world upside down.

Words We Cannot Say is told through three diverse voices as the women navigate friendship, motherhood, pregnancy, and loss. What happens when women tell the truth about themselves, their desires, and the sacrifices they’re willing—or unwilling—to make?

Praise for Words We Cannot Say

"Through vivid tales of female friendships, histories interwoven with trauma, and modern looks at relationships, Romero created a novel that does, indeed, need to be in the world. As a result of her honest and vivid storytelling, the experiences of pending motherhood and fatherhood remain with the reader — deep and rich in color, not in black and white."

Southern Review of Books www.southernreviewofbooks.com

"Romero’s years working with pregnant mothers and teaching child birthing classes have given her an insight into the fast-paced world of labor and delivery that only deepens the importance of Words We Cannot Say and the way it brings clarity to the power of the moment when a patient understands the emotional complexity of giving birth."

The Intima A Journal of Narrative Medicine

"An engaging, humane, deeply thoughtful story about three women grappling with the big questions – love, faith, grief – as they try to be worthy of what life is asking of them. Romero weaves their stories into the most gracious, rich, unforgettable tapestry. I wanted it never to end."

Elisa Albert

Author of AFTER BIRTH and THE BOOK OF DAHLIA

"A beautifully written story about three women linked together by the bonds of humanity. With themes of love, loss, addiction, and friendship, Words We Cannot Say will have readers at a crossroads as they follow the women through some of life's hardest decisions. Author Sita Romero has woven together a wonderful tale that will evoke powerful emotions in women all over the world."

San Francisco Book Review

Kristi Elizabeth

"From the heart-pounding opening in a labor and delivery ward, Words We Cannot Say is an insightful, emotional debut that weaves together three female voices to create a powerful novel about sisterhood, pregnancy, marriage, loss, and addiction. A must-read for book clubs eager to discuss women’s fiction!"

Barbara Claypole White

Bestselling author of THE PERFECT SON and THE PROMISE BETWEEN US

"Words We Cannot Say is a refreshingly honest novel about the complex intersections of friendship and motherhood, an exploration of pregnancies wanted and unwanted, an original and contemporary story of three women striving to define themselves."

Susan Perabo

Author of THE FALL OF LISA BELLOW

"In Lotus, Nia and Penelope, we find the kind of female friendship that runs the world. And in the art and science of their separate journeys toward motherhood, we find all the tears and laughter and reckoning with life’s choices that make our friendships so important, that make them rock-strong. I loved Words We Cannot Say. And when I finished it, I made sure my girlfriends knew I loved them too."

Ashley Warlick

Author of THE ARRANGEMENT

"Words We Cannot Say was an engaging, well-written, riveting story that I hated to see come to an end."

Manhattan Book Review

Susan Miller

"In Words We Cannot Say, Sita Romero tells the stories of three women who are at a stage in their lives that brings them together, but also highlights the ways in which they are different. Their paths converge briefly, then diverge again as their experiences take them in different directions. But what they learned in that moment of connection leads them to continue to support each other as they deal with heartbreak, new challenges, and new lives. At times heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, Romero’s well-drawn characters will stay with me for a long time."

Pamela Stockwell

Author of A BOUNDLESS PLACE

"Words We Cannot Say is a touching and, at times, heart-rending book about the joys and tragedies of pregnancy in modern times."

Seattle Book Review

Jo Niederhoff

"Deep love, unrequited love, and unconventional love take center stage in this deeply affecting story by Sita Romero. Words We Cannot Say delves into the push and pull of motherhood, a Sisyphean task that women are responsible for in ways that men rarely are. Life is messy and that beautiful mess is portrayed lovingly in the story. I felt every loss, every doubt, every joy experienced by the characters. As the story takes a deep emotional dive into each of the character’s present and past, you won’t walk away dry eyed. Highly recommend."

Densie Webb

Author of WHEN ROBINS APPEAR