The Weight of Silence

By: Heather Gudenkauf

Narrated by: Jim Colby, Eliza Foss, Cassandra Morris, Andy Paris, Therese Plummer, Tony Ward

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.

Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered.

Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.

Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

©2009 Heather Gudenkauf (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

• Edgar Award Finalist, Best First Novel, 2010

"Every so often you get really lucky, and a book comes along that just knocks your socks off: an absorbing, engrossing, suspenseful read that you just want to keep paging through, a novel that feels a lot like running downhill - fast and a little breathless - until it all winds down and wraps up. The Weight of Silence is exactly this kind of book.... Jodi Picoult has some serious competition in Heather Gudenkauf. [She is] an author to watch.” (Bookreporter.com)

"Deeply moving and exquisitely lyrical, this is a powerhouse of a debut novel. Heather Gudenkauf is one of those rare writers who can tell a tale with the skill of a poet while simultaneously cranking up the suspense until it's unbearable." (Tess Gerritsen)

"Gudenkauf moves the story forward at a fast clip and is adept at building tension. There's a particular darkness to her heartland, rife as it is with predators and the walking wounded, and her unsentimental take on the milieu manages to find some hope without being maudlin." ( Publishers Weekly)

Imagine your child vanishing

Would you consider the audio edition of The Weight of Silence to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book in print to compare

What did you like best about this story?

A who dun it with a twist.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you could rename The Weight of Silence, what would you call it?

Perfect name

Compelling story, great performances

This book is beautifully performed and quickly catches the listeners attention. As the story develops the listener can easily see how concealing events in our own lives can lead to remarkable outcomes. I expect that anyone would relate to some or many parts of this tale which ultimately has an satisfying resolution

Absolutely great book!

I love Heather Guedenkauf's books. This one was particularly well written and thought out. Very enjoyable.

Good Story.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommen this book to those who like people.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Weight of Silence?

Maybe the beginning of Callie's terrible journey with her father through the woods.

Which scene was your favorite?

No one scene was a favorite but every person had his or hers moment and I liked the way everybody had a voice although I would have liked to get some insight into the mind of the father.

Who was the most memorable character of The Weight of Silence and why?

I almost think it was the wife of the sheriff who was the most memorable for her lack of empathy.

Any additional comments?

Only to thank all the narrators, I liked them all.

Well Worth Reading

Great story. Lots of characters but the way the author laid out the story from everyone’s perspective , it was very easy to follow, especially on audiobook. Well written. Excellent overall. Highly recommend.

Glad I purchased!

Lots of the reviews almost kept me from this selection but I am glad that I decided to purchase anyway. Good book. Kept my interest enough to want to keep listening, wanting to know what really happened. Sure, some is predictable but all books can't be the absolute best ever written. Entertaining and a good read.

Praying for a Happy Ending

Would you consider the audio edition of The Weight of Silence to be better than the print version?

I love audio versions better than print versions simply because of the convenience in accomplishing my work while I listen. I listen to Audible books at work, and when I am cleaning house.

What other book might you compare The Weight of Silence to and why?

I don't really know of another book comparison; I just know that this was beautifully written and the narration was wonderful, in that I simply became the characters. It was easy to do because of the way the author set each of them up.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Callie was my favorite. She was my hero and so smart, if only in her head. She was a little girl and carried the weight of the world inside of her little heart and thoughts.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Intense and inspiring love story between a mom and her children

Any additional comments?

This was truly a beautiful story; very well written and edge of the seat moments that kept me wanting to return to it as soon as I could get back to it.

Kept me awake. Worth it.

A little slow in narration I should have sped it up but also didn't want it to end.

Interesting story line

This was an enjoyable read … nice twists and turns … This is the first time I have read a book by this author, but I’ll definitely be trying another one .

Great narrators!!

I really enjoyed this book. The attention to detail was on point. It kept my attention (hard to do at times) had some twists and the story was narrated extremely well!