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Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite
In Christine Emma Carey’s historical novel, Action Not Words: A Journey from Chaos to Calm, decorated young officer John Bland returns from war with the sole intention of building a meaningful life. In Yorkshire, he struggles to start afresh with his motherless child, while haunted by the ghosts of World War I. An unexpected romance with Sissy, a warm-hearted factory girl from a farming family, brings color into his life. She is sixteen years younger and might be the healing and source of happiness that has eluded him. The romance faces many trials, yet over a decade they struggle to unite two distinct worlds, start a family, endure a painful loss, and face change and new beginnings.
The characters make this novel intriguing. John's portrait is meticulously painted, and the book highlights his moral compass and the principle he lives by: “Action, not words.” His quest to find a loving mother for his young daughter after tragedy makes him human and likable. He is the decent, stoic character who inspires noble thoughts and actions in readers. Sissy is charmingly fragile, and her warmth and growing confidence had me rooting for her. Christine Emma Carey’s writing is gorgeous, and I loved the author’s economy of words. The worldbuilding is detailed, and the author makes you hear the roar of the mill floor, witness the chapel Sundays, get a sense of the atmosphere with farmhouse teas, and the Cumbrian fells. Adding to this is the Yorkshire dialect's flavor. Action Not Words is unhurried, yet it has enough drama to keep you turning the pages. The author’s treatment of emotion elevates the writing while inviting readers to reflect on class tensions, faith, grief, and the slow, hopeful work of rebuilding a life.
