The Weight of Silence

Let me start by saying that I don't usually read child abduction stories. Actually any stories where something terrible happens to a child. I wasn't always this wimpy but starting 13 years ago when I crossed the line into motherhood, I lost the ability to read a book that paired bad things with children. So it is very uncharacteristic for me to pick up the book The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf.

The Weight of Silence is about two seven-year-old girls who are found missing from their beds one morning and the subsequent search for them. The book is told from alternate viewpoints and while the suspense carries the book along at a quick pace, it's in the uncovering of the characters and their motives and pasts that makes this such an interesting book.

Callie and Petra are best friends, which in itself is interesting because Callie hasn't spoken since she was 4 years old. Yet Petra intuits what Callie thinks and feels and the girls have an unbreakable bond. When it's discovered that both girls are missing, a frantic search begins with suspicion falling on a number of people, including Callie's abusive father, Callie's brother, the school counselor, and others. When Callie comes racing out of the woods, bleeding and hurt, she finally says her first word in 3 years, setting into motion a series of twisting events.

Gudenkauf is an Iowa author and I picked up her book because it was considered, but not chosen, for this year's All Iowa Reads selection. Honestly, I'm not impressed in with year's All Iowa Reads choice (Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos) and was curious about the ones not chosen -- if the winner is lackluster, how bad must the runners up be?? In this case, the runner up is great, and I'm disappointed that it wasn't chosen.

The Weight of Silence is perfect for discussion, particularly about the concept of protecting our family. The mother of one daughter pulls in around her family and hides things from the police in order to protect her husband and son from suspicion. The father of the other daughter, a mild college professor, discovers a violent and aggressive side in himself he didn't know existed until his daughter's life is at stake. Their reactions beg the question of what would you do if your child was missing?

The Weight of Silence is a great book and highly recommended.