TRIGGER WARNING: this book deals with suicide, drug addiction and child cruelty
Beth is running around after her four children after school when she gets a phone call she will never forget. Her husband is in hospital having attempted to take his own life…
Her Silent Husband is an emotional novel about an uneasy and unpleasant domestic situation.
Beth thought she had the perfect family but the facade crumbles as Drew tries to hang himself. His sister Gemma is an addict. The fourth child they wanted to complete their famiy has Down Syndrome. The pressure has become immense and the couple barely have time for each other any more.
I felt a real mixture of emotions as I read this book. The book is written from Beth and Gemma’s first person perspectives and I found myself in tune with both lead characters equally. Part of me felt angry at Beth for her selfishness and taking Drew for granted. Another part of me was also annoyed for Gemma trying to make amends when she has been a source of worry to her family. Drew also received my anger at his choice to end his life. My sympathies were aroused by the lack of communication and the obvious distress and desperation the characters experience.
However, things are not straightforward. Secrets have been looming in the background which are gradually revealed as events in the book unfold. About a third of the way through, we get an insight into both Beth and Drew’s childhoods which goes a long way to explaining their adult behaviour and significantly increased my sympathy towards these characters.
Her Silent Husband is an emotive novel about the danger of being unappreciative of what we have and taking loved ones for granted. I have previously reviewed One Last Second and My Only Child by Sam Vickery.
Book Description:
I walk slowly to the kitchen counter, staring out the window as Ceci rocks back and forth on the swing. My beautiful darling girl has been through so much already. How can I tell her that her life is about to change forever?
When the woman from the hospital tells me that my husband Drew is in a coma my world comes crashing down.
In an instant, I see our whole married life flashing before my eyes: the way our children ran into his arms when he came home from work, the way his face lit up when he read to them. So how can what they are saying be true? That he might have done this to himself?
As my family rallies around to help, it becomes clear that Drew’s sister Gemma knows a shocking secret that my devoted husband has been keeping from me. If he wakes up, can he still be the man I love? Or will his secret tear our family apart?
A rollercoaster ride of emotions, Her Silent Husband is a story about family, and the light that can be found in even the darkest moments of our lives. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kelly Rimmer and Diane Chamberlain will be captivated by this unforgettable page-turner.
Author Bio:
Sam Vickery is an English author who loves gritty, emotional stories that can make you sob. As a child, she was forever getting in trouble for being caught with her nose in a book, and these days are no different. She lives on the south coast of England with her husband, two children and a cat that thinks it’s a dog.
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