“Rose’s prose is evocative and captures the beauty of rural Vietnam, tropical Africa, and urban and temperate San Francisco with grace and precision. . . . Coty is a remarkable character, her personality, hopes, concerns, and art will grip the interest of readers fascinated by the lives of trailblazing women. Split into four parts, the novel’s form is as bold as its protagonist, leaping over decades, at times giving just a page or two to devastating developments but investing great imaginative energy into the everyday textures of life . . . This richness of detail suggests Coty’s way of seeing the world: one crucial image at a time, each suggesting the complex context of a moment, era, or life.”
—Publishers Weekly Booklife

“Michael Rose has again gifted readers with a stirring and poignant family saga. Beyond A Thousand Words is a grand sweeping tale—its characters leap to life as they grow, grasp, love, and yearn, in locales as disparate as Hanoi, Lagos, and San Francisco. The prose is beautiful—each scene vibrant and teeming with authenticity. The story is at times sad, funny, and inspirational, but unfailingly engrossing and insightful. A wonderful read.”
—Robert Steven Goldstein, author of the novels Enemy Queen, Will’s Surreal Period, and Cat’s Whisker