This book intrigued me from the synopsis and I fear it got confused me to no end.

I understand what the author was trying to depict which is an older woman with dementia. That caused this book to feel so repetitive and I literally had to pick out the plot every single time. It was like a puzzle (which did keep me reading) but it got to a point where I absolutely felt nothing for the main character, Rose. I applaud the author for bringing awareness to elder care and the constant abuse of power when it comes to them but I felt it could have been written in a way that helped all of us follow along.

Overall, an intriguing read. Thank you NetGalley, Atria and Bruce Nash for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Bruce Nash's *All the Words We Know* presents an ambitious and deeply empathetic portrait of Rose, an octogenarian living with dementia in a care facility who becomes convinced that her friend's death wasn't accidental. When Rose witnesses what she believes to be suspicious circumstances surrounding the fall, she embarks on her own investigation, despite her fractured memory and the skepticism of staff and family. Nash makes the bold choice to narrate entirely from Rose's perspective, creating a reading experience that mirrors the disorienting, repetitive, and often frustrating nature of living with dementia. The result is both the novel's greatest strength and its most significant challenge—we experience Rose's confusion, her struggle to find the right words, and her determination to piece together a mystery that may or may not exist outside her deteriorating mind.

Rose herself is an utterly endearing and memorable character whose personality shines through despite her cognitive decline. Her stubborn perseverance, moments of unexpected humor (particularly her plant-related malapropisms), and touching vulnerability make her someone you genuinely want to root for. Nash captures the heartbreaking reality of how dementia affects not just memory but language itself—the correlation between our ability to recall experiences and articulate them. There are genuine moments of warmth and insight that will particularly resonate with readers who have watched loved ones navigate similar struggles. The author's commitment to authenticity in depicting Rose's mental state creates an immersive, if challenging, reading experience.

However, this narrative authenticity comes at a cost to traditional storytelling momentum. The novel's fractured, repetitive structure—while true to Rose's condition—can make for an exhausting read. Thoughts circle back on themselves, plot progression feels sluggish, and the disjointed timeline often leaves readers as confused as Rose herself. The mystery element, while providing some narrative drive, ultimately feels secondary to the character study, and the resolution may not surprise attentive readers. The sheer volume of words and repetitive nature of Rose's thoughts can test even patient readers' endurance.

*All the Words We Know* succeeds most as a compassionate exploration of aging, memory, and the persistence of human dignity in the face of cognitive decline. It's an "octogenarian coming-of-age story" that will appeal to readers who appreciated novels like *A Man Called Ove* or *The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared*. While the experimental narrative approach may limit its accessibility, Nash has created a character in Rose who will linger in readers' minds long after they've finished struggling through her tangled thoughts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I absolutely love this book and read it in one day. I did laugh at several spots. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, the reader is following the story of an unreliable narrator- a narrator who knows they are unreliable, but also is pretty certain there are nefarious things afoot. It is interesting being in the mind of someone who knows but cannot remember all they know. A smart person, who is rendered unreliable by age. Sadly, most of us know someone like this, someone who is lost inside their mind. I found Rose (is her name even Rose?!) to be a lovely storyteller, funny at times, and quite the interesting character. After a point, you get to understand her thoughts and see how she draws some of her conclusions. As a reader, I questioned so much of what was happening-is it in her mind or did she really hear/see things around her that caused alarm? The author could have easily misled us to the point of there being nothing afoot, the reader merely falling into a trap by an unreliable narrator, yet I found it vindicating that Rose was onto something and just couldn’t remember all the details along the way. I definitely recommend this book.

This was such a great book! I highly recommend. The way it was written made it easy to read very fast. Love it!

All the Words We Know is told through the voice of Rose, an elderly woman with dementia who believes her friend's fall wasn’t an accident. The writing is clever and full of wordplay, which really brings her perspective to life. At times, the narration feels confusing or repetitive—but that’s also what makes it feel real and honest. It’s not your typical mystery; it’s more about memory, identity, and how we make sense of the world as it slips away. A little sad, sometimes funny, and definitely memorable.

ALL THE WORDS WE KNOW – by Bruce Nash

‘Rose may be in her eighties and suffering from dementia, but she’s not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits from her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past.’

ALL THE WORDS WE KNOW is a challenging read by design, as the reader—through frequent repetition, humor, and heartfelt moments—allows you to view the world through Rose’s lens.

I Love The Ending!

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books (Simon & Schuster LLC.), for providing me with an eBook ARC of
ALL THE WORDS WE KNOW at the request of an honest review.

Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me. I really wanted to like it, and the writing intrigued me at first. I understand why the main character was constantly forgetting, misremembering, repeating herself, but as a reader it became a bit hard to read.

I absolutely adored the synopsis for this novel; unfortunately the novel itself was somewhat disappointing. I found the plot rather disjointed and the characters one-dimensional.

Title: All the Words We Know
Author: Bruce Nash
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: July 1, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Creative • Playful • Chaotic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Rose may be in her eighties and suffering from dementia, but she’s not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits form her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past.

💭 T H O U G H T S

On the outside, All the Words We Know was an instant 'add to TBR' when I stumbled upon it browsing upcoming releases. Given my family's history of dementia, I am always drawn towards books that explore the topic. And with this one compared to Fredrik Backman - I went in expecting spectacular results.

And I must say, it certainly started out strong and I had high hopes. However, it eventually becomes increasingly redundant, making it a chore to get through. Told from a first=person perspective, it delivers an insightful look into the challenges and frustrations of memory and dementia. Rose's inner monologue felt eerily familiar to conversations I had with my grandmother during the early years of her diagnosis. It's equal parts funny and sad, and I simply wanted to be able to reach out and give Rose a hug.

But while the bones of the story were good, the execution certainly faltered. The author failed to keep me invested in the goings on, perhaps by not building sufficient plot into the narrative. When I made it to the end, I could reflect back and realize that not a whole lot actually happens. And maybe this was intended as a character driven story, but the premise had be believing otherwise.

All the Words We Know had all of the makings to be a standout read, unfortunately, the execution missed the mark and it's disappointing to give this book such a low rating given it offers an insightful look into the mind of someone living with dementia. There are many heartwarming and funny moments. However, it was a real chore to get to the end and there isn't as much plot as the story needed to be successful.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• older MCs
• first-person narratives

⚠️ CW: dementia, transphobia, death, cursing

Rose is in her eighties, lives in an assisted living facility, and is suffering from the effects of dementia. She spends her days roaming the halls, observing the staff and other residents, or taking visits from her distant children and grandchildren. Rose wavers between being sharp-as-a-tack and unable to remember a simple word. But when her friend ends up dead in the parking lot, she puts everything into remembering what she has been witnessing at the facility. All of this effort to remember, also brings back many of her own personal recollections.

This book wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. While I did enjoy the writing and diving into the chaos of a character with dementia, it made the actual story very hard for me to follow. And the mystery-solving part of the description left me a bit confused and wanting more details from that side of the story. From a reader who enjoys a strong plot-driven novel, this one just didn't work for me.

Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Bruce Nash for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

4.25

What a pleasant surprise to find a book about someone with dementia where their illness brings humor, not just tears. Multiple otherwise romantic, feel-good reads this spring and summer have been turned into tearjerkers by the presence of a loved one suffering from such illnesses. Though there are no happy cases of dementia, this book stares the illness in the face and redirects its power. Leave it to an Australian to have the [something living in the garden with the cockatoos] to write it!

Don’t get me wrong. The adversity Rose faces is astounding and you will feel for her and cringe simultaneously wondering how it could ever be made right I think she is also at an early-to-mid stage in her progression, where the majority of her forgetfulness is words and names, and not people or places entirely. Her nicknames for them are priceless!

On that note, I began reading the e-book, but, due to an illness, downloaded the Audible version to listen to rather than read. Though the publisher introduced the book stating that it was a hit in Australia earlier this year and is taking on North America, it would be easy to forget the origin of the story with Americanized references of “Mom”, rather than “Mum” and who knows what other changes. Alternatively, though the story and references are universal, the (I assume) authentic Australian narrator is great and keeps that flavor at the forefront. The acting is not too complex as it is one long monologue for Rose without assuming other identities.

As someone who has lost lovedones to dementia, this is an intriguing and heartfelt story that is increasingly uplifting. Seriously, I am a crier from the get-go and though I wanted to hug Rose continuously, I didn’t shed a single tear. I imagine that those in the current trenches of dementia—caring for someone or maybe even experiencing early symptoms—would be much more sensitive to the overwhelming situation, but at least in my case, I have never smiled so much in a tragic situation.

Thank you to Bruce Nash, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#AlltheWordsWeKnow #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #BruceNash #dementia #cozymystery #alzheimers #elderabuse #corruption #atriabooks #australia

The writing style of this book made my brain hurt. I did like the perspective of someone who's living with a retirement facility with dementia. The repetitive nature of the book and the cast of characters talking down to the main character were difficult to deal with. this wasn't my favorite read.

This novel does a great job of skirting the line between being absolutely heartbreaking and being hilarious. Told from Rose’s perspective, we get insight into someone with dementia. A mystery ensues, and Rose is there to help.

I find it difficult to rate this book. The description was interesting and I was excited to read a story of a dementia patient solving a murder. I appreciate the way the book was written, from the mind of an elderly woman with dementia. It was insightful and slightly heartbreaking. However, I felt the story fell a little flat? It was intriguing enough for me to finish in a day. But it was very slow paced and not super exciting. I had to piece things together along the way because this definitely was an unreliable narrator type character, so much of it didn't make sense. Which I think was the point and written that way on purpose. It was a good, heartfelt read. I suppose I was just expecting more suspense and action.

Thank you Atria Books publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

This story was so niche for me, and will be for anyone with a background in linguistics and/or cognitive communication disorders. That, combined with my love for an unreliable narrator and a bit of a whodunit made me love this story that’s about so much more than what it appears. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

All The Words We Know By Bruce Nash
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up to 4⭐)

Thank you to Atria Books and to NetGalley for the #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! It's so good to be an #AtriaInfluencer !

📚MY REVIEW:

All The Words We Know was a brilliantly-written novel by Bruce Nash about Rose, a loveable and endearing woman in her eighties who, though she's struggling with dementia, knew something odd was happening at her assisted living facility and was committed to figuring out what was going on.

Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, Rose spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits from her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past.

I genuinely loved Rose! With clever wit and intelligent humor, Nash wrote a remarkable glimpse into the mind of someone with dementia, and I found Rose's thought patterns to be fascinating. At the core of this story is a mystery, which I enjoyed. But overall, this book just made me really, really sad -- and honestly, it was a sadness that I seemed to feel in the depths of my soul. As someone who has lost multiple loved ones to the effects of Alzheimer's disease, this was a heartbreaking glimpse into the mind of someone whose cognitive abilities are slipping. It made me think about my relatives and what their experiences must have been like during their cognitive declines; my rating is primarily a reflection of the heaviness in my heart after I finished reading this one. I don't think I expected to feel this kind-of sadness from reading a mystery.

Though Nash's writing was phenomenal and this was overall an enjoyable read for me, it was a tough one that left me feeling sad. If I didn't have such a personal connection in my family to dementia, I'd have likely enjoyed this one's wit and intelligent humor even more. If you like uniquely-told mysteries with endearing characters, I think you'd really love this read. I'll definitely read more of this author's books, as his writing style flowed easily and created a compelling read overall. This is out now!

#AllTheWordsWeKnow #BruceNash #AtriaBooks #gifted #eARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #booklover #bookaddict

This is a tough one to rate. Rose is in her 80s, living in an assisted living facility (that reads much more like a nursing home to me), and suffering from dimension… I mean dementia. She is simultaneously forgetful and inquisitive, untrusting and trusting, and full of humor. When her friend has disappeared and someone appears to have fallen out a window, Rose is on the case with all her idiosyncrasies.

Overall the story was a view of the world from the POV of a dementia patient and it made me feel quite sad. Rose has a hard time remembering words; sometimes getting them right but quite often using words that are similar but not quite right. The wordplay in the book is fun at first, but becomes a bit overbearing of the overall storyline and takes away from the real struggles of dementia as well as the mystery Rose is investigating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bruce Nash for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Bruce Nash’s All The Words We Know, readers get a deep dive into the mind of Rose who is in her eighties and suffer from dementia. The death of her Scrabble partner and friend sparks Rose to investigate the disappearance of her friend. For anyone who has or had a loved one imprisoned by dementia, this book will bring vivid images of the suffering of both the patient and their families.

I loved Rose. Of course, her narration of the story is questionable, circuitous, and repetitive. That is both endearing and frustrating. While I can empathize with her son and daughter’s exhaustion and frustration, I also found their lack of empathy and graciousness toward their mother unacceptable. Rose’s memory affects her ability to communicate efficiently, but she does have something to say. Her memory impacts her ability to efficiently “investigate” her friend’s alleged accidental fall from a window.

Rose is an unreliable narrator, and she knows it. Her vocabulary mix ups are humorous, and her thought process is repetitive. She is a smart person made unreliable by age and illness. While Rose is clearly onto something in her investigations, she can’t quite remember all the details along the way.

Whether you read it for the cozy mystery or insight into the frustration of living with dementia, All The Words We Know is a worthwhile read.

▪️With wicked humor, genuine poignancy, and clever insight, this is an unforgettable novel about murder, secrets, and memory that is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Fredrik Backman▪️

I have the deepest soft spot for elderly characters and love a mystery so when I saw that tagline name-dropping 2 of my all time favorite authors, I instantly grabbed this book. After reading, this one's almost hard to rate for me. Dementia is one of the most heartbreaking diseases to watch a loved one go through, and I do think it was interesting to read it through the perspective of the one who has it. You truly do feel as though you're going through this with Rose as she grapples with vocabulary, trying to find the word she's looking for. There were moments of warmth and times that made me LOL but also the fragmented mind aspect began to feel a bit too repetitive. This was also a painfully poignant look at what it can be like living in a facility and having people, including family, that lack patience or make you feel as though you're a burden. I liked Rose, but for some reason, I didn't fully connect with her as I have with others, such as Backman's Ove. Ultimately, I felt I was in the middle with this book, hovering at 3 ⭐, but I think this will still have readers who love it!

✨ Thank you to Atria and Net Galley for the invitation to read this one!
🎉 Pub date: 7•1•2025