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Breaking the Silence  By  cover art

Breaking the Silence

By: Diane Chamberlain
Narrated by: Justine Eyre
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Publisher's summary

Laura Brandon's promise to her dying father was simple: to visit an elderly woman she'd never heard of before. A woman who remembers nothing-except the distant past. Visiting Sarah Tolley seemed a small enough sacrifice to make. But Laura's promise results in another death: her husband's. And after their five-year-old daughter, Emma, witnesses her father's suicide, Emma refuses to talk about it - to talk at all.Frantic and guilt ridden, Laura contacts the only person who may be able to help. A man she's met only once - six years before. A man who doesn't know he's Emma's real father. Guided only by a child's silence and an old woman's fading memories, the two unravel a tale of love and despair, of bravery and unspeakable evil. A tale that's shrouded in silence...and that unbelievably links them all.

©1999 Diane Chamberlain (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Chamberlain deserves the highest praise for writing this emotionally compelling story of secrets and silence, love and lies." ( Literary Times)

What listeners say about Breaking the Silence

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

can't listen to the narrator

I can't finish the first chapter of this book because the narrator whines and sounds as though she is about to burst into tears. She sounds this way even when she's reading as the child. I have never stopped a book this early but I can't stand her voice.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator voice was so annoying

Would you try another book from Diane Chamberlain and/or Justine Eyre?

Yes just not read by this narrator. I tried to listen because the story sounded very interesting but I just couldn't do it.

What didn’t you like about Justine Eyre’s performance?

NO

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration!

Another great book by Chamberlain-maybe a little slow at times-or maybe just dragged down by the awful pretentious narration!

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, terrible narration

Would you listen to Breaking the Silence again? Why?

no, the narrator was difficult to listen to, her voice was whispery and annoying

What other book might you compare Breaking the Silence to and why?

Anything else by the author, others have been great to listen to such as Silent Sister.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Justine Eyre?

anyone else

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Don't bother

Needed a different narrator. May have just been the person reading it but the story was very hokey.
One of my least favorite


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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Keeps you listening.

What made the experience of listening to Breaking the Silence the most enjoyable?

You know that there has got to be more to the story but you just can't figure out what it is. I listened to every last word of this book and it took more twists and turns, and they were all very feasible story lines, not something that you would find hard to imagine.

What did you like best about this story?

That its based on events that really happened. Maybe not exactly as told in this story, but the thread of the story is based on facts.

What does Justine Eyre bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She is a good narrator, she told the story well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

absolutely.

Any additional comments?

Because of this book I will listen to other books by this author, and I will recommend this book and author to others.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrator was difficult to hear

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I so enjoyed the Silent Sister that I couldn't wait to hear more of Diane Chamberlain's books. Breaking the Silence, while the story was enticing, the narrator read with such a breathy, quiet voice I found myself backing up repeatedly to hear what she said. Sorry. Don't think I'll listen to any more in this genre for a while.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Breaking the Silence?

When Laura found out her dad wanted her to care for a complete stranger with no explanation. Kept me listening to just find out why he cared for her all these years without his daughter knowing anything about her.

What didn’t you like about Justine Eyre’s performance?

Not much. As I said above, she was too breathy and quiet for me to enjoy.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably. Like the premise of the book.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

New and Great Story

This story was not a rewrite of a story I have read hundreds of times. It was very interesting and kept me guessing. I loved the story of the character of Sarah who is the old women described in the summary.

Problem...the reader was really hard to listen to. I was loving the story so I literally had to force myself to get used to that voice. Eventually I was able to get passed the voice and focus on the story.

Its too bad because I think many will try to listen but give up after a few minutes of that voice.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Will keep you interested

What made the experience of listening to Breaking the Silence the most enjoyable?

As all of Diane Chamberlain's books, she grabs you right from the start. The twist and turns keep you interested.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This story has lots of plots and twist, yet is easy to follow and keep the characters straight

What about Justine Eyre’s performance did you like?

Yes, she was pleasant to listen to. She was a good actress, playing each character.

Any additional comments?

I will not quit until I have listened to all of Diane Chamberlains books. So far I have loved them all.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrarator is Horrible

Story is outstanding, but I barely got through with the terrible narration. Story was great, but please never use this narrator again!

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3 people found this helpful