The Second Silence (Wheeler Large Print Book Series (Cloth))

Customer Reviews

I think my main objection to The Second Silence is that it was much too contrived and coincidental. In 1969, a friends suicide leaves her schoolmate, Mary bereft. And some how, some way Mary just knows that her friends slimy boyfriend Robert had something to do with it. Now we move to the year 1999, where Mary's daughter Noelle a recovering alcoholic and mother of one young daughter, wants to divorce none other than this same man, Robert whi has become very prominent in the community. Unfortunately for Noelle, Robert doesn't plan on giving Noelle a divorce too quickly without getting what he also wants. And when he takes his daughter from Noelle's grandmother's home where she's been staying, Robert fails to bring her home telling Noelle instead that the child will live with him while he sues for custody. He claims that Noelle is an unfit mother and it seems as though every one including their next door neighbor is afraid of Robert and therefore is against Noelle. Gearing into action to help Noelle are her parents who have been divorced for almost all of her life. And now come the abounding coincidences. Mary, again, falls in love with her former husband. Noelle and the local doctor fall in love. Robert, who seems to have everyone in his hip pocket is proven to be a scoundrel and even their neighbor's wife who was once Noelle's friends, is found to be having an affair with Robert. The ending wasn't at all surprising and the whole plot made me think of many other romance books I've read which were the same in feeling and characters. And while I've come to expect some repetition, this book hardly held my interest and I was sorry I even finished it.

Sorry I couldn't offer a better review. I'm not sure if I'll read Goudge's books in the future - perhaps I'll just reread her older titles which I did adore.

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