Small Silent Things

A Novel

By: Robin Page

Narrated by: Myra Lucretia Taylor, Nathan Hinton, Eboni Flowers

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

A lyrical, haunting debut that explores the power of parenthood, identity, lust, and the legacy of trauma, as the lives of two neighbors are upended by ghosts from their past lives.

When the news of her mother’s death reaches Jocelyn Morrow, it stirs up memories of her traumatic childhood. She is a mother herself now, to six-year-old Lucy; living a life of privilege in Southern California with her husband Conrad; moving in a world of wealthy white women, even though she is not white; as far away from her past as she can get. Her designer clothes cover a net of scars across her back, and she hides an even deeper mark - a fundamental stain, something she believes invited her abuse. She also has a blossoming secret: She is becoming obsessed with Kate, her tennis coach.

Her neighbor, Simon Bonaventure, is a successful landscape architect and a Rwandan refugee. He, too, is haunted, by the wife and daughter who were taken from him in the genocide 20 years ago. The ghosts of those he could not save, and those who took them, are never far, and now he has received a letter - allegedly from his daughter, grown, and full of questions for a father she doesn’t know.

As Jocelyn and Simon begin a tentative friendship, they forge a bond out of their dark secret histories - a bond that may be their only hope of being pulled back from the abyss.

©2019 Robin Page (P)2019 HarperAudio

Unfortunately! Unpredictable!

I won't soon forget this one! I had absolutely no ideal where this story was headed but I had to make myself put the book down so I could get some sleep! At times I read my book long with the audio version and at times I closed my eyes and and put myself right there in the story. The narrators were fantastic! Thanks for the back story that's included in the book. Bravo Robin Page!

Sassy Sarah

Narrator was excellent. Parts of the book I had to struggle with getting through it.

Unexpected

Overall I enjoyed the story that the author was telling. The ending was not what I expected, nevertheless it was nice. Mental illness, PTSD, abuse, and other atrocities that result from mistreatment are becoming the norm in today’s world. A strong support system is essential for survival.

Excellent, emotional and engaging

A complex story with three povs. My favorite character was Simon, I felt he had the deepest substance. Each one of them has been through something that changed them. overall the book makes you wonder if your trauma actually changes who you are at your core or if you're always that same person, just not allowing it to control you.

This is the book I've been waiting for

Disclaimer: I know Robin Page, and I had the privilege and honor to read her writing over 20 years ago. Robin is a narrative genius with how she weaves together words and images so that they leap out of the page into technicolor aliveness. I read some of her drafts, waiting for them to be collected into a work that I knew I would want to read when it was finished. It's been over 20 years and it has so been worth the wait. The stories within this story will tear at you and then fill you up in those jagged spaces. It's a huge audacious piece of work that realizes some tragedies are of such immensity that they cannot be talked about in any adequate way but only felt in silence of solitude, and that some joys are of such immensity that they cannot be talked about but only felt in the presence of those we love.

Great book

This was a great book with an interesting storyline. The narrator did a good job of bringing the story and characters to life. I loved Simon’s character. He seemed to be a hero for everybody even to the dog, Lion. And there was a twist I didn’t expect.

Haunting, Soulful, and Rich

My goodness! More than simply a novel, this gem of memories and experiences will grab you and sweep you up in each character's story. The pain and triumph is so real that you feel like you can reach out and touch it. The scenes are vivid, the pain is raw. Myra Lucretia Taylor's voice is exactly who Jocelyn needed to be, I search for novels narrated by her because of her gift of bringing a character to life. I also thoroughly enjoyed Eboni Flowers and Nathan Hinton.

Incredible read

This book is incredible. I think the writer really understands how our pasts never really go away and how they affect all of our actions and human connections in life. Robin Page's voice is amazing and brilliant.

I had high hopes for this novel

I was incredibly disappointed by this book. First off the narration of Jocelyn drove me insane. I probably would have enjoyed it 35% better if it had been narrated by someone else. Second, the friendship between Simon and Jocelyn didn't seem fully developed. I thought the author would have explored more of Jocelyn's childhood trauma and how it affected herbthrought her life and up to the point where we are in the story. I found her to be an extremely unlikable and unsympathetic character. Finally I felt at times like I was listening to porn. It was absolute filth, with no context. It was so out there and so not in line with the rest of the story that I found it distracting and difficult to listen to. I really disliked this book.