Unsaid
Neil Abramson, 2012
Center Street
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781599954097
Summary
In this explosive 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. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Born and raised in New York City, Neil never expected to find himself anything other than a city dweller ….. until he married his wife, a veterinarian. “I went from living on Central Park South with two cats and a dead cactus from a prior relationship to living over an hour out of Manhattan in the middle of the woods with horses, a pig, dogs, cats, chinchillas and a parrot—and those were only the ‘domesticated” animals.’ We have since added two small humans to the mix.”
A partner in a large Manhattan law firm where he specializes in labor and employment law and litigation, Neil also works on animal rights and animal welfare issues on a pro bono basis. He’s been active in animal rights/animal welfare circles for over two decades, having served on the Board of Directors of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, as a founding member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Legal Issues Relating to Animals and been recognized for his animal legal work by the ASPCA.
Together with his wife, he founded Finally Home-A Sanctuary for Animals, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe haven for lost and abused animals in southern New York State. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Unsaid is being donated to Finally Home. (From the publihser.)
Book Reviews
Rarely has a novel captured so movingly the deep bonds between people and the animals that share their lives. Veterinarian Helena Colden has died of breast cancer, but she still watches over her shattered attorney husband and their menagerie-dogs, cats, horses, and a pig, all with personalities as distinct as their human companions. Helena, who narrates, remains guilt-ridden over the unresolved fate of a research chimp that communicates at the level of a 4-year-old child. How each of these vivid characters finds a way to let go and move on is at the heart of this entrancing tale.
Parade
In this heartfelt though predictable debut, Abramson explores the interconnecting relationships between animals and people, as well as the sensitive topic of scientific animal testing. Though wearying at times with endless narrative on compassion for all living beings, the novel is still touching and emotional. Thirty-seven-year-old lawyer David Colden is reeling from the death of his veterinarian wife, Helena, when he is approached by one of her colleagues, Jaycee, who worked with Helena teaching Cindy, a chimpanzee, to use American Sign Language. The funding for the chimpanzee project is about to come to a halt, and Jaycee initially wants David to obtain a court order so Cindy isn't used in scientific experiments. David refuses at first, too distraught over his loss and taking care of all Helena's pets: three dogs, six cats, horses, and a pig. But when Jaycee breaks into the government institution to "save" Cindy and is arrested, David agrees to represent her in court. Helena narrates from the afterlife and is an important presence in the courtroom during Jaycee's trial. Sudden life-changing events teach David love and acceptance, and while emotion often trumps plot, the focus on animal rights (Abramson is a lawyer who has been recognized by the ASPCA for his legal work) will resonate with animal lovers.
Publishers Weekly
In Abramson's debut, lawyer and animal rights advocate Helena has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Fearful of passing on to the next stage, she watches how her husband, friends, and pets cope with her death. A young veterinarian, Helena had a multitude of animals that David, her lawyer husband, now cares for as he goes through the grieving process. Joshua, her business partner, is overwhelmed with work in her absence. Her friend and colleague Jaycee can no longer prove to other researchers and government officials that a chimpanzee named Cindy responded in American Sign Language to her and Helena. Because of this, Jaycee's funding is pulled, and a legal fight begins as she enlists David's help to try and keep Cindy from being used for other scientific experiments that could possibly harm the chimp. Verdict:Abramson delivers a touching and dramatic story that is sure to please animal lovers. Though the heavy emphasis on animal rights becomes repetitive, overall this is a solid story of loss and love. —Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV
Library Journal
The premise in lawyer and animal-rights activist Abramson's first novel—about a recently deceased veterinarian keeping her eye on the humans and animals she's left behind—is that the "consciousness" of all living beings must be respected equally.... The more morally evolved characters (most of them grieving a human loss) find solace mainly through their animal relationships. Readers will either adore or despise this combination of animal-rights zealotry and love-conquers-all spirituality.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Unsaid is about the healing power of animals. Have you had any personal experiences where an animal has helped you heal? Physically? Emotionally? Spiritually?
2. In the novel, one of the characters points out that there is a distinction between “unspoken” and “unsaid." Do you think there is a difference? What is it?
3. What characters in the book have left things “unsaid” when we first meet them? What remains “unsaid” by the end of the novel?
4. In the novel, Helena is unable to move on after she dies. Do you believe that her continued presence is voluntary or involuntary? In what way? What is the mechanism for her final release?
5. The novel ends with the word “Amen.” Why do you think the author chose that word?
6. The novel points out an ever-present tension between specieism and anthropomorphism. Is anti-specieism always anthropomorphic? Is anti-anthropomorphism always speciest?
7. Is there an ethical way to use animals in invasive science research? What if the research causes the death of the animal?
8. Which characters in the novel are motivated by rejection? Which are motivated by the fear of rejection?
9. Cindy is limited in her ability to communicate with humans. In what ways are the human characters limited in their ability to communicate? What has caused these limitations?
10. Does Clifford’s communication impairment result in his understanding more or less that the other characters? What does your answer lead you to conclude about the relationship between speech and understanding?
11. At the end of the novel, David insists that he be the one to inject the euthanasia solution that ends his dog’s life. Have you ever made that request? Would you consider doing so?
12. Many of the human characters in the book experience grief. Do you belief that animals experience grief? Have you ever witnessed an animal displaying grief?
13. One of the themes of the book is that meaning only comes from juxtaposition and dissonance. If you could choose, would you “live small” in a numb and painless existence or seek meaning and purpose even though that price of that understanding is pain?
14. How would the story have been different if narrated by Clifford? If narrated by David?
(Questions from the author's website.)