The Weight of Silence

The beginning of this book was a little weak and at times slow. However, once the story takes hold, it is a nicely written, touching book that evokes a lot of emotion. It's told from the perspectives of each of the main characters, which allows insight into their thoughts; you end up loving some and hating others. A few of the characters were one-dimensional, but most were fully developed and complex.

Although this is not a traditional whodunit mystery, the author does a stellar job of creating tension, making the book hard to put down. The heart of the book is about family dynamics and unconditional love. It deals in a very real manner with marriage and abusive relationships, selective mutism, family secrets, and alcoholism-topics that provide lively discussion for book clubs. In summary, I enjoyed this book and found it to be an engrossing, unusual read.

The runaway New York Times bestseller-over half a million copies in print. It happens quietly one hot August morning in Iowa: two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.

Seven-year-old Calli Clark suffers from selective mutism brought on by a tragedy when she was a toddler. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend and her voice. But neither girl has been heard from since they vanished.

Now, Calli and Petra's parents are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

1. Antonia describes herself as a bad mother while Louis reassures her she's a good one. What supports each of their beliefs?

2. What ethical or moral boundaries, if any, did Louis cross as a deputy sheriff during the investigation?

3. Can Ben and Calli break the cycle of abuse? What signs point to their future outcomes?

4. How does the loss of Antonia's mother shape her life and parenting decisions?

5. How does Martin Gregory's response to Petra's assault fit into his belief system about restraint and order?

6. Why did the author use different narrative styles for each character? How did this affect your reading experience?

7. What does the title The Weight of Silence mean in the context of each main character's story?

8. What did Toni mean when she said the woods "sent you back to me"?

9. Why did Martin and Fielda move from Willow Creek to a farm after Petra's trauma?

10. What makes Calli and Petra kindred spirits? Do you believe their friendship will last?