In May 1914, Helene Noisette’s father believes war is imminent. Convinced Germany will head straight for Paris, he sends his wife, daughter, mother and younger son to Beaufort, a small village in northern France. But when war erupts two months later, the German army invades neutral Belgium, sweeping south towards Paris. And by the end of September, Beaufort is less than twenty miles from the … front. During the years that follow, with the rumbling of guns ever present in the distance, three generations of women come together to cope with deprivation, fear and the dreadful impacts of war.
In 1917, Helene falls in love with a young Canadian soldier wounded in the battle of Vimy Ridge. But war has a way of separating lovers and families, of twisting promises and dashing hopes, and of turning the naïve and innocent into the jaded and war-weary. As the months pass, Helene is forced to reconcile dreams for the future with harsh reality.
Lies Told in Silence examines love and loss, duty and sacrifice, and the unexpected consequences of lies.
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A tale of a French family’s WW1 saga beginning with comfortable, pre-war society life in Paris that is upended when father Henri Noisette sends his mother, wife, son and sixteen-year-old daughter Helene to a small village that turns out to be close to the Vimy Ridge battlefield. The story flows with vivid descriptions of the Noisette women acclimating to the countryside, and dialogue that weaves in period political and military detail. Family tensions boil as Henri’s position keeps him away, yet family members become closer in the trying circumstances of the war. In alternating points of view among Henri, his mother, wife, and Helene, characters grapple with timeless conflicts such as duty to the family or pursuit of personal happiness; honesty or deceptions designing to protect; and personal choices that run afoul of society’s norms. The heart of the story is the coming-of-age of Helene, who finds her place in the family and wartime romance with a Canadian soldier, and is confronted with the most difficult choices faced by any Noisette. The authenticity of the book is enjoyable, and the prose has a steady flow.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.
Tragic love story set during WW1 with a twist that will give you chills. Magical writing.
The book opens in 1914, as the world is about to be drawn into WWI. We meet the Noisette family, consisting of Henri, Lise, and their children, Guy, Helene, and Jean. Another son, Marc, died young. Henri’s mother, Mariele, lives with them and has recently lost her husband. She is frequently referred to as Grandmere. This word and other French words occasionally serve to remind us that this book is set in France. The coming war divides the family. Henri stays in Paris. Guy enlists. Henri sends the rest of the family to the fictional town of Beaufort, lovingly imagined and described by the author. Ironically, though the war divides this family, in many ways, it unites the family as well. The evolving relationship between the three generations of women is very compelling. Surrounded by the grim realities of war, the womens’ bonding provides a nice respite for the reader. It is interesting that the cover features a man. A soldier.
Early on, it is apparent that Helene is the main character of the book. Even so, the reader must wait a while before she steps to the center of the stage. She goes from being a typical 16-year old girl to an enormously capable woman. Life gets complicated, especially in novels, and especially so during times of war. At times when the protagonist must make impossible decisions that will have lasting implications, I found myself questioning, wondering what I would do in such a situation. With no time to contemplate; some decisions must be made immediately. I will refrain from spoiling the story as it relates to the decisions and the lies told in silence.
What about the dog? I know it sounds silly, in the midst of such important happenings to wonder. Certainly, Tout Tout is in the book for a reason. We knew that Tout Tout remained in Paris with Henri, though I would have expected the dog to go with the rest of the family to the countryside. I wondered what kind of dog he was. Then when Henri had to leave Paris for some time, I wondered who tended to poor Tout Tout. Maybe so readers like me could wonder, “Hm.”
If this author wrote a hundred books, I would endeavor to read them all. She has a graceful writing style, just the right balance between action, drama, description, and emotion for my taste. There are plenty of facts, historical references, and accounts of war, evidence of enormously detailed research. I appreciate that there were descriptions of the beautiful French countryside, and everyday life in a small, rural town. All that said, I think I most admire this author’s character development, and the bits of wisdom the characters share with the reader. The storytelling flows smoothly from page to page. I’m rarely grateful when I must spend the better part of two days on airplanes and in airports. On a recent trip, I was thankful for the time alone to devour this fantastic book.