The Weight of Silence

by Heather Gudenkauf

Book Overview

Masterfully written and beautifully told, Heather Gudenkauf's debut is a stunning novel of family devotion, honesty and regret that will linger long after the last page is turned.

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 077832740X
• ISBN13: 9780778327400
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Mira Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A real page turner! I should have been sleeping but I had to stay up and finish this book,

The characters in the story were fleshed out. And even when I figured out 'who dun it', I was so concerned for the characters, I was compelled to keep reading.

somewhat slow

i found myself getting a bit bored until the last third of the book, I was waiting for a change in pace that never came. In retrospect, the story is good and its a good read i would probably recomenend to my mom.

Trust the reviews

This was a great read, one of those ones where it's very difficult to put down.

I love this book

I got this book for a birthday years and years and years ago and it kind of said on my bookshelf for about a year. When I finally picked it up and started to read it I couldn't put it down I loved it and I now recommend it to everyone always.

Awesome read!

This book draws you in and will not let go. The suspense makes you turn pages.

Absolutely loved it

A great book, must read

Could not put this down

Heather is an amazing author. This book had me from the first page of the prologue. I loved how she switched to different characters for each chapter. Everytime I thought I figured out the ending I was wrong. I love that I had no idea until the last page. This was a binge reading book, I couldn't put it down.

This book is very well written. The characters are very well developed and the plot moves right along, holding your interest.

The Weight of Silence

The Weight of Silence is a debut novel by Heather Gudenkauf. I started the book this morning, and have finished it this afternoon. I couldn't put it down, I just had to get to the ending and see how the story would unfold. Callie is a selective mute. Petra is Callie's best friend and acts as Callie's voice. The two girls go missing, and from there the story takes you on many twist and turns while their parents and police look for them. The book is told from many different points of views that switch off throughout it. I liked this because you got a glimpse as to what each person was going through and how they saw the events that played out. I enjoyed the book, and its bittersweet ending, and would definitely recommend it.

tense dark family drama

In Willow Creek, Iowa, Griff Clark has gone fishing when his wife Antonia awakens from her sleep to find their seven years old daughter Calli gone. She is worried because this is not normal for her child who has been mute for three years after a run in with her abusive father. Checking with the neighbors, Antonia learns that Calli's best friend Petra Gregory is also not home. Distraught, Antonia turns to her long term friend, Deputy Sheriff Loras Louis to learn what has happened to her daughter. He arranges a manhunt even as he hides how much he loves Antonia from her. Although it takes a minor adjustment, as the perspective rotates between five key players, this is a tense dark family drama that hooks the audience from the moment Antonia wakes up to the worst that could happen to her; much more so than the beatings from her abusive spouse. The realistic story line is fast-paced even with the rotating viewpoints, but never lightens up; so is not for everyone as the aptly titled THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE is very heavy as "Silence like a cancer grows" (Simon and Garfunkle's The Sounds of Silence). Harriet Klausner

A real nail-biter.

I was given the opportunity to read this book before its release and I have been telling everyone about it since. I found myself totally absorbed in the story and the characters. And like others, could not put it down. In fact I became so involved in the story that it felt like the search for the girls would stop if I didn't keep reading! The author did a great job of building the suspense, pulling me in and giving out just the right amount of information to keep me guessing. A "suspense" novel that truely is suspenseful.

A wonderful read!

I couldn't put this down, from the very first page. Each of the characters was so real, and the author put us in the mind of each. Two girls are missing, a nightmare for a small town where everyone knows each other, or thinks that they do. I'll be looking forward to more by this author!

Outstanding

I read this book in one sitting and was up til 1:30 am finishing it. This is an awesome debut book. Fans of Jodi Picoult will love this un-put-down-able novel.