Just as with Heather's debut novel These Things Hidden is a brilliantly written, edgy, emotional but harrowing story. It's the story of an innocent child caught up in the secrets of two people, one who was sent to prison for a heinous crime as a teenager and has now been released and the other her sister. If you're looking for a deeply suspenseful and moving few hours curled up on the sofa or in bed this is the book for you. But it's more than that as it could equally be a reading group book for discussion on any number of issues the book raises and there are exclusive extras, including reading group questions at the back of the book.
Heather Gudenkauf’s debut novel The Weight of Silence was selected for the 2010 TV Book Club Summer Reads and we rated it very highly as well.
Allison Glenn tried to hide what happened that night...and failed. The consequence? Five years in prison. Now she's free. But secrets have a way of keeping you caged...When Allison is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult in her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces the whispered rumours every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn - shy, quiet Brynn - who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her. But then Allison is released, and is more determined than ever to speak with her sister. Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.
Praise for the author for her debut novel, The Weight of Silence:
“Fans of Jodi Picoult will devour this.” Red
“Deeply moving and lyrical, it will haunt you.” Company
“Beautifully written, compassionately told, and relentlessly suspenseful.” Diane Chamberlain
Author
About Heather Gudenkauf
Heather Gudenkauf is the New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence. Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing impairment, Heather tended to use books as a retreat and escape the world around her. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted.
