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Neil Abramson
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Unsaid: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Neil Abramson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,065 ratings
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In this USA Today bestselling debut novel, Neil Abramson explores the beauty and redemptive power of human-animal relationships and the true meaning of communication in all of its diverse forms.
As a veterinarian, Helena was required to choose when to end the lives of the terminally ill animals in her care. Now that she has died, she is afraid to face them and finally admit to herself that her thirty-seven years of life were meaningless, error-ridden, and forgettable. So Helena lingers, a silent observer haunted by the life she left behind-her shattered attorney husband, David; her houseful of damaged but beloved animals; and her final project, Cindy, a chimpanzee trained to use sign language who may be able to unlock the mysteries of animal communication and consciousness.
When Cindy is scheduled for a research experiment that will undoubtedly take her life, David must call upon everything he has learned from Helena to save her. In the explosive courtroom drama that follows, all the threads of Helena's life entwine and tear as Helena and David confront their mistakes, grief, and loss and discover what it really means to be human.

Abramson's next novel, JUST LIFE, published in May 2016.
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  1. Print length
    369 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Center Street
  5. Publication date
    August 4, 2011
  6. File size
    1449 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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  1. When we again find our way despite the inability to manufacture a deeper meaning in our suffering, that I think is when God smiles upon us, proud of the strength of his creation.
    Highlighted by 358 Kindle readers
  2. Motives get lost in the passage of time, subject to the ravages of memory and revisionism. What stays—and therefore what matters—is what you do.
    Highlighted by 210 Kindle readers
  3. “God can warm in his hands for a thousand years those who have buried a child and still they will not feel the glow of his countenance.”
    Highlighted by 187 Kindle readers
  4. Letting someone you love know that you want more for them probably does go into the ear at the same pitch as disappointment.
    Highlighted by 179 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This moving and riveting novel beautifully expresses the transforming power of the human-animal relationship. Read it if you shared your life with an animal, but more importantly, read it if you haven't." (Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, and author of the bestseller Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food )

"Humans are pretty much a big-brained, self-centered, and arrogant lot, but when we allow ourselves to connect with other animals in deep and meaningful ways, they ground us and allow us to show who we really are--compassionate, empathetic, and caring beings. In this unique and moving novel, Neil Abramson shows just how strong our relationships with other animals can be, and how we can learn so much from our animal kin about their needs, their emotions, and respect, dignity, and love. I was continually moved as I read UNSAID and reflected on its important messages about just how important other animals are to us, and encourage you to read this intriguing book and share it widely." (Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals, Animals Matter, Wild Justice, and The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint )

"...a remarkable book." (Susan Wilson, author of One Good Dog and The Fortune Teller's Daughter )

"A suspenseful, heart-throbbing novel exploring the big questions of life, death, sentience, animal rights, compassion, righteous indignation, and what it is all about and why. The surprise twists are like an emotional roller coaster. Read it, weep, grab your chair, and gain insights into the big why!" (Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., and author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live )

"An extraordinary story of animals, mortality, and the power of love. Everyone needs to read this novel!" (Garth Stein, author of the International Bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain )

UNSAID says it all in a lyrical story about humanity's journey from betrayal to reconciliation with our animal kin. A beautiful, wrenching testimony." (G.A. Bradshaw, director and founder, The Kerulos Center, and author of Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us About Humanity )

"A compelling story of love, death, and ethics told with skill and sensitivity." (Carla Davis, Editor, Best Friends magazine )

"Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, a novel of animal slaughter and the men who perform it, exerted a powerful influence on a much earlier generation. May I hope that Neil Abramson's novel, UNSAID, will have a similar effect on present day readers and help us understand that animals need us as much as we need them. A riveting tale!" (George K. Russell, Professor of Biology, Adelphi University and Senior Editor, Orion magazine )

"If you love legal dramas...or dogs...or terrific writing...or originality...or people...or discovering wonderful new writers, then Neil Abramson's UNSAID is a book you simply must read." (David Rosenfelt, author of Dog Tags )

"A poignant read on the meaning of life and its priorities--how death and despair can lead to renewal and life, but only if one realizes the interconnectedness of all creatures." (Irene M. Pepperberg, author of Alex and Me )

"Enjoyed it thoroughly." (Jeffrey Masson, author of When Elephants Weep )

"UNSAID will really make you think about the relationship between people and animals. I was not able to put it down, and I read parts of it twice." (Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human )

"A remarkable book, uncanny in that its narrator is recently deceased, but vivid in its development of believable and complex characters, both human and nonhuman. The author embeds in the story important aspects of current controversies over the extent of animal capacities as well as a keen sense of the value of animal lives (Susan J. Armstrong, Professor Emerita, Humboldt State University, and co-editor, The Animal Ethics Reader )

"Neil Abramson has written a powerful and imaginative novel. His insights into the animal kingdom touched my heart. My book club will love it." (Meredith Brokaw, creator and co-author of the Penny Whistle book and Big Sky Cooking )

About the Author

Neil Abramson is a partner in a Manhattan law firm, and his wife is a veterinarian. Abramson is also a past board member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an award recipient from the ASPCA for his legal work on behalf of animals, and a founding member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Legal Issues Relating to Animals.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0047Y0EVK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Center Street (August 4, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 4, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1449 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,065 ratings

About the author

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Neil Abramson

Neil Abramson

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NEIL ABRAMSON is the acclaimed author of Unsaid and Just Life (publishing May 10, 2016). A partner in a Manhattan law firm, Abramson is a past board member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an award recipient from the ASPCA for his legal work on behalf of animals, and a founding member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Legal Issues Relating to Animals. He and his wife, a veterinarian, share their home with a wide variety of animals.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,065 global ratings
I couldn’t put this down!!!
5 Stars
I couldn’t put this down!!!
I’ve done absolutely nothing today except hold my dogs and read this book! I can’t remember the last time a book ripped out my heart and then stuffed the pieces back in- if ever.This book is about so many different things- coping with the death of a loved one, the importance of communicating in a manner the receiver can interpret- be it a child, a dog or a primate, is there life after death? Does the rainbow bridge exist. Is it okay to put a dog down on a good day?Okay- as jumbled as this is, that’s how I feel as I read the last pages.The main characters are like us, mostly likes le and imperfect, dealing with issues that we’ve experienced (especially you’ve lived seven decades) losing a parent, a lover, a spouse, a dog.Moving forward in life instead of waiting to die.Dogs can teach us a lot about that.
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Top reviews from the United States

Deb Rager
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
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I have read this book multiple times and listened to the Audible version multiple times. Every time brings me to tears. It's such a sad and uplifting story, it touches me in a new way on my encounter with the story.
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Carol Anita Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Unsaid manages to say a lot
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2012
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This book engages all your emotions and makes you consider basic assumptions about what separates humans from animals. Unsaid made me feel like wet laundry put through an old fashioned wringer washer--emotions that I'd forgotten existed were squeezed out of me, but as in Greek tragedy it was a liberating catharsis.
The premise of the story sounds a bit fishy--a vet looks down on her survivors coping with her death. We learn about her husband and their menagerie of pets, as well as the events/decisions that still haunt the recently deceased woman through her knowing observations. Several subplots swirl around revealing more information about the narrator and main characters.
There is a courtroom drama that unfolds to resolve the story (the husband is a lawyer and he represents the narrator's best friend in a case that allows for an airing of animal rights issues ---especially chimpanzees--- as property). The author's prose engages the reader's senses, intellect and emotions from the start and propels the book to its conclusion, without misstep. The writing style never gets in the way. It's one of those books you enjoy, even while your heart is breaking. For those who feel a connection with animals (particularly but not limited to dogs and chimpanzees) this book will resonate with what you always suspected.
A great companion to this book would be the docudrama Chimpanzee.
 Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)
One person found this helpful
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Jes Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars Book for Animal Lovers!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014
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To anybody interested in reading this novel, be forewarned: it is sad, it will undoubtedly pull at your heart strings, and you will not be able to put it down.

I bought this book as a recommendation from a friend, and a fellow animal lover. The book starts by telling the story of one veterinarian, Helena, who becomes diagnosed with breast cancer but doesn't survive the disease. A majority of the plot is dedicated to life after her death: how her husband copes taking care of all their animals, being reintegrated to his job and recovering from Helena's absence, how Helena's business partner, Joshua, handles running their veterinary practice alone, as well as how a previous co-worker/lab researcher deals with trials and tribulations in her incredible research that Helena had witnessed.

I loved getting the opportunity to read a book written from the perspective of the dead because it isn't too common (at least, not to me). You get to experience all of Helena's emotions and reactions to the experiences that occur without her there and how she gets to see people grow and move on in their lives, working through her death.

Probably the only aspect of the book that tripped me up was the court case, and all the legal jargon. Throughout a majority of the primary court case, I didn't understand some of the technical legal terms the author opted to use, but just tried to flush out the main points of what was occurring.

The primary debate in the book, that animals do have a language all their own - that you just have to listen and be open to understanding it, should speak to any animal lover whose had to interpret a cats cry, a dogs raised eyebrows or a horse's whinny. It gives you the opportunity to analyze the animals in your life and speculate about the numerous emotions,wants and needs they are trying to communicate on a daily basis.

Definitely a worthwhile read for any animal lover out there. Personally, I am hoping this book gets it's chance to hit the big screen.
14 people found this helpful
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Gere Johnson Rickerd
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Moving
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
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I cannot praise this book enough. I think it has a very important message for all of us humans. And at the same time it is entertaining. But be warned, you will certainly weep.
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Bethie M
5.0 out of 5 stars I Wept
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2024
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I cannot recommend this book enough. Abramson obviously researched his subject material, and then took those factual notes and wove a believable, emotional, fictional story that rings true in all ways that matter. Thank you.
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Lauren
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone who loves animals
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
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I love this book so much even though it made me cry. The author understands that animals are individuals. The animals are the stars in this show. The story is told from the POV of a woman who's dead and was a vet in her life. It's about her animals. The secondary story is a about a primate researcher who is communicating with chimp by sign language. Then what she does when the lab stops her research an puts her chimp in a medical research.

Be prepared to cry.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lynne E. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars What's Not To Love?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2021
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It was brilliant! I haven't read such a heart-warming, poignant, well-written book in ages. I will keep it to read again, and again, ad infinitum. I have read it on kindle, I think I will buy the book!
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C. Silvester
5.0 out of 5 stars This was a beautiful read. The narrative touches the reader on so ...
Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2017
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This was a beautiful read. The narrative touches the reader on so many levels. While this is not a 'love story' - It truly is.

Unsaid delves into the reflections / arrogance of how humanity pits itself against each other and the beautiful creatures that are forced to survive around us. This is a story about loss, and revelation. It's so many things.

I chose to read this book based on my fascination of the front cover only. I was not disappointed. I laughed, I got angry, and by the end I cried, but loved every moment of the journey.

This is a book animal lovers will appreciate, and those that feel indifference towards animals, may just take a second thought in their ideals as to what animals can think or feel and how they impact lives of others.
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Stephanie Behrens
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr berührend
Reviewed in Germany on September 29, 2015
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Das Buch wurde aus dem Ausland zu mir nach Spanien in kürzester Zeit und für kleines Geld geliefert. Ein sehr berührendes Buch, das auch von Leuten gelesen werden kann deren Muttersprache nicht englisch ist. Absolut lesenswert.
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Georgia
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2019
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I absolutely loved this book, I could not put it down. I just wanted to keep on reading. It’s a lovely books
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Sewingsisco
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely a must read for animal lovers!
Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2016
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I loved this book. It feels so real and true and carries the reader along as though he/ she is in the story. I love animals and have had a couple of extra special ones! They brought me love and peace when I desperately needed it. They made me a better person, which is what I believe the author is saying.
Read this book because you love animals or because you think you want an animal! You will be so involved in the story that you won't be able to put it down. You will know that animals enrich our lives and that they make us better people. Read this book because it is worth reading and you will love it!
4 people found this helpful
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