Book Title: THE THINGS THEY DIDN'T SEE by Angela Shaeffer
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 358 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction, Family Saga
Publisher: Wander Lane Press
Release date: June 2025
Content Rating: PG + M: Mild profanity with some mature themes (self harm, suicide attempt)
“Exquisitely crafted . . . [an] emotive tour-de-force.”
— Publishers Weekly BookLife (Editor’s Pick)
— Publishers Weekly BookLife (Editor’s Pick)
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About the Book
Raised on sunny days at Lake Koda, Jill piloted a speedboat long before driving a car. Her husband and three boys share her love for boating—until a surprise storm and tragic accident change everything.
As grief settles in, Jill and her family are drifting apart. Her relationship with teenage Jake grows strained when everything she says or does seems to be wrong. Her husband, Matt, takes Jake’s side, and even her sweet youngest child doesn’t trust her judgment.
Jake is trying to be a good kid but doesn’t know where to turn when his head and heart are constantly racing, and Matt just wants peace between his wife and son. Tensions build as they bump and bang into one another. There’s too much extra space for a family of four living in a home built for five.
Emotional and ultimately hopeful, The Things They Didn’t See is the story of a family’s love for each other clouded by misunderstandings, guilt and blame as they struggle to overcome unprecedented loss and find connection again.
My Review
Expect a Very Well-Done Emotional Journey. I often shy away from women's fiction since it can be a little sappy or include insta-emotions that feel more eye-roll worthy than engaging. This book, however, is one of the best family sagas/ women's fiction books I've read this year. The author navigates family dynamics and the many emotions faced during the grieving process in a remarkably authentic manner, taking readers on an emotional journey from start to finish. As a woman (and a mother), I could certainly relate to Jill, but I found the thought-provoking journey through the entire family's healing process, from blame to pain to hope, to be both realistic and emotional. There were no scenes in the book that felt misplaced or unnecessary, as the author created a well-organized and well-balanced novel in illustrating this family's story.
Grief is a very Individualized Experience. The author did an excellent job guiding readers through the family's experiences with grief. The shattering of the family as each person struggles in their own way to overcome the loss is both honest and heartbreaking. Yet, it also pulls the reader's heart in many directions as the storyline unfolds. You will find yourself hoping for peace and comfort for everyone involved as some tough topics are addressed.
Would I Recommend The Things They Didn't See by Angel Shaeffer? If you enjoy realistic women's fiction that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, this is a wonderful book. The novel's characters face some very real-world emotions and situations, and these are approached in a way that pulls readers wholly into the scenes. If you enjoy family sagas with well-drawn characters, realistically complicated relationships and heartstring-tugging, relatable scenes, this is a must-read for your reading list.
Grief is a very Individualized Experience. The author did an excellent job guiding readers through the family's experiences with grief. The shattering of the family as each person struggles in their own way to overcome the loss is both honest and heartbreaking. Yet, it also pulls the reader's heart in many directions as the storyline unfolds. You will find yourself hoping for peace and comfort for everyone involved as some tough topics are addressed.
Would I Recommend The Things They Didn't See by Angel Shaeffer? If you enjoy realistic women's fiction that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, this is a wonderful book. The novel's characters face some very real-world emotions and situations, and these are approached in a way that pulls readers wholly into the scenes. If you enjoy family sagas with well-drawn characters, realistically complicated relationships and heartstring-tugging, relatable scenes, this is a must-read for your reading list.
Buy the Book
Amazon
B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org
add to Goodreads
B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org
add to Goodreads
Meet the Author
Angela Shaeffer is a mother to four grown children, two children-in-law, and Grammy to two adorable granddaughters. She lives in Utah with her husband when they’re not escaping to Colorado’s San Juan Mountains or exploring New York City. She loves to hike, road bike and travel but also cherishes solitary hours to read and write. The Things They Didn’t See is her debut novel.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
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Thank you for reading my book and your insightful review!
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