The Weight of Silence

Masterfully written and beautifully told, Heather Gudenkauf's debut is a stunning novel of family devotion, honesty and regret that will linger long after the last page is turned.

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 a 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.

Don't miss Heather's upcoming twisty locked-room thriller, EVERYONE IS WATCHING!

And don't miss these other great stories by Heather!


These Things Hidden
Little Mercies
Missing Pieces
Not a Sound
Before She Was Found
This is How I Lied

The Overnight Guest

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384 pages

Average rating: 8.22

18 RATINGS

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3 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

njlbo1
Jul 18, 2023
8/10 stars
My aunt-in-law sent this to me, and I really liked it! It reminded me a little of Jodi Picoult in that the story's told from different character's perspectives, but Gudenkauf has a style of her own. It had my interest from the first page to the last, and I had a hard time putting it down in between.
Laurie King
Jan 28, 2023
8/10 stars
This book will break your heart. I cried and still can't imagine how any child can go through anything so traumatizing.
K. Aebersold
Jan 13, 2023
8/10 stars
This book is an interesting perspective from young characters and explores the intricate dynamic between two families whose daughters are best friends. Gudenkaufs debut novel is a twisted and suspenseful read that I have come back to many times.

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