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It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn’s shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.  Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.  Calli’s mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter’s voice.  Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.  Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

About the Author

Heather Gudenkauf graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education and for the past sixteen years has worked with elementary children. Currently, along with writing, Heather is an Instructional Coach, an educator who provides teachers with curricular, student, and professional development support. Heather lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband and children. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and running.

I could NOT put this book down.  Seriously!  I stayed up late reading, and I even got mad at myself for falling asleep while reading it and then losing my place because I would end up dropping the book on the floor by the bed.

Each chapter is from the point of view of the different characters, with the exception of Calli and Petra whose chapters are in third-person omniscient.  My favorite thing about The Weight of Silence was the way Ben’s character was presented.  Instead of internalizing his thoughts, his character spoke to his sister Calli.  It was as though he was the one who held the most hope for Calli’s return and speaking to her could somehow keep their connection alive.  While the adults fixated on the worst possible outcome, constantly worrying over events of the past, Ben remained strong; it was through him that I really felt hopeful.

As the story unfolded and I learned more about the secrets that bound the characters together, I really felt  for Antonia.  She endured several tragedies that I haven’t experienced myself, but as a mother I wanted to reach through the pages and give her a big hug.  It certainly made me hold my children a little tighter.  The other characters were believable, well-developed, and I could identify with different aspects of each of them.

The ending was predictable, but in a way that left me satisfied.  Obviously, I couldn’t predict exactly how it was going to turn out, but I was certainly happy with the way things were finally resolved.

I recommend this book to mothers and daughters.  It’s a wonderful book that speaks to the importance of family, friendship, and strength through hardships.

**Spoiler Alert!!**

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the epilogue.  To be honest, I don’t know why it was even there.  I would rather have left the story right at the end and not have to jump ahead six years to a Calli (who now spoke).  The reflections at the end kind of tied things up with a pretty bow, but it made it just a little too package-like.  I was satisfied at the end when Calli was found and Petra was saved.  Ms. Gudenkauf simply didn’t need to go to Calli in order to add to the story.  In my opinion, the epilogue took away from the story instead of adding to it, which I assume was her intention.

**End Spoiler**

The Weight of Silence is available at amazon.com in paperback and kindle.

Would you like to have my copy of The Weight of Silence? Please know that mine is no longer in mint condition.  I have a house full of kids and you know how they can be.  The front cover is bent, the tops of a few pages are torn because my three-year-old tried to put my paper-clip-style bookmark back in for me, etc.  It’s not like the cats peed on it…yet.

Anyway, if you want my copy, just leave me a comment and I’ll draw a winner on September 1.  US and Canada only, please.

This review is part of the Mother Talk blog tour see more reviews about this book here.

Tags: alcoholism, book reviews, books, giveaway, weight of silence

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