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Winner of the Best First Australian Crime Novel, Ned Kelly Crime Awards 2006, this is a welcome re-release of an outstanding book from an author who is guaranteed to make you think a lot. And another book to mention Vida Goldstein (I must track down a copy of the books written about her - an astounding true life character).

From the Blurb:

Out of the Silence is a stunning debut novel about three women from very different worlds: Maggie Heffernan, a spirited working-class country girl; Elizabeth Hamilton, whose own disappointment in love has served only to strengthen her humanity; and the remarkable Vida Goldstein, the suffragist who was to become the first woman to stand for Parliament.

When Maggie’s life descends into darkness after a terrible betrayal, the three women’s lives collide. Around this tragedy Wendy James has constructed a masterfully drawn and gripping fiction. Based on a true story, it unfolds at the dawn of the twentieth century against the compelling backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement and a world on the brink of enormous change.

The novel powerfully evokes the plight of women in the early 1900s not least their limited options, whatever their class and education. However, at its heart this is a story of love of love gone wrong; of its compromises and disappointments; but ultimately of its extraordinary transformative power.

Giveaway:

Momentum Books have offered to giveaway an ebook version of this to followers of Australian Crime Fiction and this really is an excellent chance to get your hands on an extremely good book.

If you'd be interested, leave a comment on this post including your name / email address and the first posters will win. (I won't be publishing the comments as normal so your details will only be provided to Momentum for the purposes of sending out your prize).
 

There will be another giveaway soon for another of Wendy's early books - The Steele Diaries

BOOK DETAILS
BOOK INFORMATION
Author
ISBN
1740513835
Year of Publication
BLURB

I call his name - only quietly, but he hears me as I knew he would, and wants me as he always does. And we come together - right there in the darkness. And even though there is no way to be certain of any other thing in the world, I am certain that I would risk anything to keep what is between the two of us. For love, I would risk anything, lose everything.'

Out of the Silence is a stunning debut novel about three Australian women from very different worlds: Maggie Heffernan, a spirited working-class country girl; Elizabeth Hamilton, whose own disappointment in love has served only to strengthen her humanity; and Vida Goldstein, a charismatic suffragist from Melbourne and the first woman to stand for Parliament in Australia. When Maggie's life descends into darkness after a terrible betrayal, the three women's lives collide.

Around this tragedy Wendy James has constructed a masterfully drawn and gripping fiction. Based on a true story, it unfolds at the dawn of the twentieth century against the compelling backdrop of the women's suffrage movement and a world on the brink of enormous change. The novel powerfully evokes the plight of women in the early 1900s - not least their limited options, whatever their class and education. However, at its heart this is a story of love - of love gone wrong; of its compromises and disappointments; but ultimately of its extraordinary transformative power.

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Submitted by Karen on Mon, 15/04/2013 - 07:08 pm