Breaking the Silence
Grade : D+

Breaking the Silence is not a very romantic suspense novel. The hero doesn't appear until page 83, and he gives off a bad first impression. It's not what you'd call a light read either; it covers topics ranging from suicide to Alzheimer's disease, homelessness, and barbaric medical procedures. These weighty topics simply overwhelm the story both by dousing the romance and by weighing down the suspense.

On his deathbed, Laura Brandon's father begs her to visit a woman in a retirement home, although he doesn't tell her why or what his connection to the woman is. After returning from her first visit to Sarah Tolley, Laura finds that her husband has killed himself. Even worse, her five-year-old daughter, Emma, has been left mute by the shock. Six months later, Emma still hasn't spoken a word. Laura asks Emma's biological father, Dylan Geer, for help. Meanwhile, Laura continues her visits to Sarah - why did her father want her to meet this woman?

The novel is divided between two stories - Laura's struggles in the present and Sarah's memories of the past. At first, the switches to Sarah's viewpoint slow the novel. Then, Sarah tells Laura about her experiences as a psychiatric nurse in a hospital that used methods such as lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and even injections of LSD. The details are understated yet grisly. Sarah's husband, a reporter, checks into the psychiatric hospital to investigate its practices - and becomes one of its victims.

Although the tales from the past were compelling, the segments set in the present lacked the same tension. Only when Laura and Dylan started delving into Sarah's story did their part of the novel pick up. After all this, the conclusion seemed too pat and full of unbelievable plot twists.

Laura was the Queen of Denial. Her husband treated Emma badly, yet Laura kept defending him. She even felt guilty for having a successful career. Dylan isn't much better. He had a drinking problem in his past, so he can't remember meeting Laura, let alone sleeping with her. At first, he refused to have anything to do with her. Once he realized that Emma was his child, he became a devoted father. Still, he continued to date other women and took too long to recognize his feelings for Laura.

Sarah was the most sympathetic character in the novel. Her love and concern for her patients were obvious. The choices she had to make were heartbreaking, and I really did feel sorry for her. But the overabundance of tragedy in her life really made the book too depressing to read - I have an overwhelming urge to read something light and cute right now.

Now for some nitpicking. Dylan and Emma visit the Baltimore Aquarium. There is no such place. They should have visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I know it's a minor detail, but someone should have caught it. Also, the author's note at the beginning of the book told about the psychiatric procedures in mental hospitals. It revealed too much about the story, and would have been more appropriately placed at the end.

Breaking the Silence contains so many grim elements that it overwhelms the reader. To make matters worse, some of these elements were superfluous and actually detract from the core story, such as the subplot about the posthumous publication of Laura's husband's book about the homeless. Even so, author Diane Chamberlain handled the challenging multiple viewpoints with some style, making this reviewer feel thoroughly frustrated that there wasn't more good mixed in with the bad.

Reviewed by Anne Marble
Grade : D+

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : November 24, 1998

Publication Date: 1999

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Anne Marble

I buy too many books, too many weird heavy metal albums, and too many pulp novel reprints.
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