The Silence In Between

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Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your new-born baby and there is now no way of getting to him... For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and Alone in Berlin, a stunning historical debut. The gripping historical debut about a family separated by the Berlin wall - perfect for fans of All the Light We Cannot See, In Memoriam and Alone in Berlin SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024 SELECTED AS ONE OF INDEPENDENT'S BEST HISTORICAL FICTION OF THE YEAR 2024 VOTED BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL and BEST DEBUT, BestBookForward podcast 'A hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, family and societal unrest all set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall' Glamour _____ Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he'll be fine. When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city - and the world - in two. Lisette is trapped in the east, while her baby is unreachable in the west. But this is not the first time she has lived in a divided city. . Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother the music has disappeared. Can Elly now find a way to bridge the silence Set across two timelines - the Second World War and the tumultuous events of 1961 - The Silence in Between explores the unbreakable bonds of family, the resilience of women, and the lengths they will go to protect the ones they love. Based on true stories, The Silence in Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading. '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 ______ BOOKSELLER LOVE for THE SILENCE IN BETWEEN- 'Without a doubt one of the best books I have read this year... I can't recommend this book enough' Abbey Rowlinson 'Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. A must-read' Dominika 'A sublime story, told beautifully' Kurde, Horsham 'A truly compelling and moving novel with two incredible female characters I won't forget in a hurry' Tilly Fitzgerald 'Kind, thoughtful and poignant... an uplifting and hopeful story' Lauren 'A powerful and emotional book' Neil Challis, Windsor 'A thought provoking, ultimately kind and beautifully researched debut' Beth, Chesterfield 'I genuinely loved this - it's definitely a stand out novel of 2024' Helen, Scarborough 'A cracking debut from this talented new author' Jen Mackay, Windsor 'This truly has the potential to be the next big story, so full of heart as it is!' Libby Low 'A powerful story of human resilience and family bonds' Emma Smith, Bedford 'A beautiful but heart-breaking read from a wonderful new voice in historical fiction' Victoria, Aviemore 'An excellent novel... a sensitive retelling of two critical and terrible periods of Berlin history' Sean Farrell 'An incredible book full of heartbreak, hope, unbreakable love... I don't think this book will ever leave me. I will be recommending it to customers as a must read' Hayley Ralls, St Neots

Reviews

A compelling debut . . . The Silence in Between is a haunting and compassionate account of wars 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 *

Author Bio

Born in Sweden to a family of writers and readers, Josie Ferguson moved to Scotland when she was two. She returned to Sweden in her twenties, where she completed a vocational degree in Clinical Psychology (MSc). Upon graduating, she moved to London to pursue a career in publishing, something she had dreamed about since delving into fictional worlds as a child, hidden under the duvet with a torch. She later moved to Asia in search of an adventure and a bit more sun and currently works as a freelance book editor in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and two young children. While training to become a clinical psychologist, Josie learned about the complexity of human nature, something she explores as a writer. She believes books about the past can change the future and she aspires to write as many as possible. The Silence in Between is her debut.