Silence

Christopher Brookhouse
The Permanent Press (2009)
ISBN 9781579621797
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (2/09)

 

Author Christopher Brookhouse has written a book that captures the reader from the very first page. The story told through the eyes of a mother takes us on a fast journey where no one speaks their true feelings or accepts any negativity in their lives.

The main characters: Nicki a high school senior, Willie a high school senior, Harriet (Nicki’s adopted mom), and Sheldon (Nicki’s father), spend a majority of their time doing what everyone wants and expects them to do. No one wants to upset the status quo. However, when something terrible happens to Nicki, she does not attend her high-school graduation and leaves town with a former classmate. Nicki’s father comes across as a man who could care less about his daughter, although in reality he really does care.

Nicki’s mother is trying to find herself. She flirts with the idea of having a short rendezvous with a high-school teacher and is more than curious about her friend Ann who is a lesbian.

Author Christopher Brookhouses’ use of vivid description in “Silence” lets readers feel right at home with all of the characters and the daily questions they encounter. He gives readers the opportunity to reflect on their own lives and fantasize about what could have been. Having the mother tell the story adds a more personal touch, as if we were mind-reading.

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