A journey through Alaska to find a missing husband turns dangerous in more ways than one. A slow paced book exploring family relationships when put to the test.
The Quality of Silence follows Yasmin and Ruby’s journey through Alaska to find Matt, Yasmin’s husband and Ruby’s father. Ruby is deaf so has to communicate using sign language and this causes her parents to take opposing views about how best to raise her. The majority of the book is set in a truck driving hundreds of miles in sub zero temperatures.
You would think driving through Alaska in a truck would be quite a boring story. The single moving location enables an exploration of the characters and their relationship with each other. If you forget the unrealistic nature of their situation the story is actually rather touching and it was easy to read in just a few days. It was refreshing to have a couple with a ‘normal’ feel to the relationship. They are not head over heels in love, have had a few mistakes along the way, but not falling to pieces either.
The tension is gently paced throughout the journey with the final quarter of the book picking up to a nail biting conclusion. You really don’t know how things will turn out until the very final page.
Rosamund has done an awful lot of research and has represented Alaska and the silent threat of the weather with plenty of detail. The premise is a little unrealistic but I took more from the characters as a result.
3/5
Get the book here The Quality of Silence (UK) or here The Quality of Silence (US)
The Quality of Silence will be published on the 2nd of July 2015.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley
Other books by Rosamund Lupton include Sister and Afterwards
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