Description

For readers who love the emotionally charged, page-turning writing of Kristin Hannah or Anthony Doerr, a story of a mother, a daughter and a family torn apart by war.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE
ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT’S BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR

‘I couldn’t put it down’ 5-star reader review
‘A truly compelling and moving novel with two incredible female characters I won’t forget in a hurry – a must read’ 5-star reader review
‘Best historical fiction book of the year – even ever’ 5-star reader review

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BERLIN, 1961. Lisette wakes to discover that overnight a wall has divided her city in two. On the other side is her newborn baby.

The night before, Lisette left her sick baby boy in a West Berlin hospital, reassured that he would be safe.

But on the morning of 13 August 1961, everything has changed.

The border between East and West Berlin has closed. Lisette is trapped in the East. Her baby is unreachable in the West.

And this is not the first time history has torn Lisette’s world apart.

Now her teenage daughter Elly is determined to do what seems impossible.
Elly has never understood the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for Lisette the music has fallen silent.

To save her baby brother, Elly must find a way across a divided city – and uncover the secrets of her mother’s past.

Moving between the devastation of the Second World War and the extraordinary events surrounding the building of the Berlin Wall, The Silence in Between is a sweeping, deeply moving story of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice, and the courage of ordinary women caught in the path of history.

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‘An emotionally resonant debut full of music and menace’ – Mail on Sunday

‘A haunting and compassionate account of war’s legacy, the atrocities inflicted on ordinary German women and their extraordinary resilience’ – Observer

‘Packs a real emotional punch … I can’t recommend this novel highly enough’ – Laura Barnett, bestselling author of The Versions of Us

‘An absolutely brilliant book, full of emotion, and which will stay with you long after you have finished it’ 5 star reader review

‘Omg this book absolutely BROKE ME…evoked every emotion possible while I was reading it.’ 5 star reader review

‘Atmospheric, emotional, tense, and unflinching…this will be in my top books of the year.’ 5 star reader review

Publisher Review

A compelling debut . . . The Silence in Between is a haunting and compassionate account of war’s legacy, the atrocities inflicted on ordinary German women and their extraordinary resilience * Observer * A thoughtful and moving debut … Rooted in real stories, The Silence in Between is a reminder of how seismic political events shape ordinary lives * Independent, Best historical fiction books of 2024 * A strong, emotionally resonant debut full of music and menace * Mail on Sunday * A hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, family and societal unrest all set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall . . . a poignant and heartfelt story that eloquently captures the resilience of the human spirit * Glamour * A confident debut with an original premise * Sunday Times * A captivating, tense portrayal of desperation, fortitude and courage * Herald * A tautly plotted, deeply involving novel that packs a real emotional punch … I can’t recommend this novel highly enough * Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us * A quietly powerful novel about lives altered by a seismic historical moment * Fife Today * A gut-wrenching but beautiful novel about love, family, resilience and music * Culturefly * A powerful story of family, hope and generational narratives, beautifully told * My Weekly *