Set in turbulent times before and during WW1, The Silent Land is an interesting exploration of loss, grief, love and hidden family secrets. The death of Rebecca’s mother in 1903 triggers a total change of lifestyle from Fens village to London society, but sadly this is just the start of the tragedy that she must face as she also loses her father to a heart attack and her husband to the war.
With strong, believable characters combined with good research to add depth and realism this historical novel, from a woman’s perspective, is sad but the novelist’s skill is to make you want to keep reading as you are invested in the characters and you care what happens to them.
Just when Rebecca Lawrence believed joy had come into her life, she learns the truth about how her mother died years before. Marriage to her first love and motherhood pulls her back from resentment, only for the First World War to threaten her peace when her husband is sent to fight. When she discovers another lie which could fracture her world, she is faced with the choice of ignoring it, or letting the scars of the past corrupt her. Set between 1903 and 1919, The Silent Land explores the complexities of love and the pursuit of truth in grief. The inspirational purity of the heroine will draw readers in, demonstrating how strength can be found at times when it would have seemed inconceivable. The Silent Land explores the different shades of grief - the loss of a mother through assisted suicide, the loss of a father through a heart attack, and the loss of a husband through conflict. Comparable to works by Colm Toibin and Sebastian Faulks, this is a moving and eloquently written tale of the overwhelming struggle faced by women left at home during the war.
