All the Words We Know

With wicked humor, genuine poignancy, and clever insight, this is an unforgettable novel about murder, secrets, and memory that is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Fredrik Backman, and "will be loved by readers wanting to have their heart strings plucked" (The Guardian).

Rose may be in her eighties and suffering from dementia, but she's not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits form her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past. Bruce Nash is the author of three novels, with All the Words We Know being his first to be published in the United States. He has been shortlisted for several writing awards and his short stories have appeared in several anthologies. He is a retired teacher and now lives on the southern coast of New South Wales, Australia. Find out more at BruceNashAuthor.Wordpress.com. "Rose, the octogenarian narrator of Australian writer Bruce Nash's American debut, captures listeners' hearts, tickles listeners' funny bones, and challenges listeners' mystery-solving skills. Narrator Abbe Holmes tells the indomitable Rose's story, projecting her determination to find the right words and make sense of the strange happenings at her care home. Holmes uses a vocal tremor that conjures a friendly elderly woman who is eager to be heard. Listeners hear her frustration as she works to be taken seriously. From the unintentional humor that meanders through her sentences to her often-used "whats-its-name" word substitutions, Rose invites listeners' empathy."