The Things We Never Say

The novel opens in a small coastal town in Massachusetts and introduces Artie Dam, a fifty-seven-year-old high school history teacher. Artie is friendly, humorous, and well liked by his students and colleagues. He lives with his wife Evie in a large house by the sea that once belonged to her wealthy parents. Artie regularly meets his close friend Flossie, a recently widowed woman who is about to move away to Ohio to be near her daughter. Their farewell dinner marks the beginning of Artie’s growing sense of loneliness

At school, Artie teaches Civil War history and is attentive to his students, especially those who are vulnerable. When he catches a student mocking Rhonda Lazarre, a socially awkward girl, Artie angrily reprimands the class—an unusual outburst that signals his emotional strain. At home, his relationship with Evie feels distant and routine, though not openly conflicted.

The narrative then reveals a crucial element of Artie’s past: years earlier, his teenage son Rob was involved in a car accident that killed his girlfriend. Though Rob survived, the event deeply damaged the family. Since then, Rob has grown emotionally distant from Artie. At the same time, Artie begins secretly thinking about suicide, carefully considering different methods while trying to ensure his death would look accidental.