The Things We Don't Talk About

By Leslie Rider

There are things in the life of Laura Ryan that don't make sense to her. For example, she can't understand why her family would have a wake and funeral for her grandfather, a man who abused her mother for years. It's not like no one knew. And it was obvious that it ruined her mother's life. Yet Laura's father not only insisted that she go to the wake, but doubted the abuse even happened. Why didn't he believe her mother?
Laura's son, Felix, has an almost obsessive interest in Thomas the Tank Engine and struggles with social rules. Don't all kids fall in love with some children's program or other? Aren't social interactions challenging for all kids? Laura had these same quirks growing up, too. But their doctor thinks there's a bigger issue.
Meanwhile Laura's newest client, an astrologer and psychic named Luna, says she's willing to pay for the website Laura's built for her. But Luna's behavior says otherwise. Does Luna really find it impossible to use something as simple as PayPal, or is there another reason she hasn't paid her yet?
And what's with that website that provides peer critiques for artists and their work? The other users seem one dimensional and odd. One minute they're friendly and welcoming. The next they behave irrationally, and their messages are unreadable. Are they even real people?
Written in a modern epistolary style, which includes emails, texts and other messaging formats, The Things We Don't Talk About explores the ways humans communicate things they would rather not discuss and how challenging it is for autistic people to understand these kinds of messages.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FF16T9RX
• ISBN13: 9798287969790
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"