Review & Blog Tour: The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Calli Clark is a sweet, innocent seven year old girl.  Yet as a toddler, she suffered an unspeakable tragedy and hasn’t uttered a word in three years.  Her best friend is Petra Gregory. Petra doesn’t seem to mind that Calli doesn’t speak. they are soul mates, using non-verbal means to communicate.

One summer morning, both young girls go missing. Calli’s mother, Antonia, can’t seem to face the fact that her abusive husband, Griff, is involved. Petra’s father, Martin, is a warm and loving man.  Yet his daughter’s disappearance forces him to reveal a harsh side that has thus far remained hidden.  He will stop at nothing to find his daughter and punish the individual who has taken her.
The Weight of Silence is not only a book about the abduction of two children.  It is truly a novel about family secrets.  It reveals the voices of each of the main characters in alternating chapters.   Through the various points of view,  each of the main characters reveal themselves to the reader, we able to get a vivid and honest portrayal of not only what happens during this investigation, but during the years  that lead up to it. While the reader is following the investigation of the two missing girls, they are also slowly learning about the horrid tragedy that lead to Calli’s selective mutism.

The entire novel is fast-paced and riveting. The short chapters keep the momentum moving.  There are so many twists and turns and secrets revealed.  This is guaranteed to be a book that will keep your attention. Don’t plan on starting it if you don’t have time to complete it, because it will literally grab you and won’t let you go.

I would definitely recommend this as a book club read.  There are so many aspects that could be discussed, starting with Calli’s mutism, the trauma she experienced, family secrets, it goes on and on.  This is guaranteed to be a book that must be talked about!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to participate in this tour! To read more about the author, Heather Gudenkauf, and to visit the other blogs participating in the tour, please visit Heather’s tour page!