“As a long-standing feud threatens to spark once more, the fates of two families rest on the most unexpected of shoulders”. With these words, I was immediately intrigued! “When Silence Sings” is the first novel I’ve read by Sarah Loudin Thomas, and I definitely enjoyed my journey-through-words back in time to 1930, and the hills of West Virginia. Although the residents of these backwoods communities may not know it, long-held secrets are about to be revealed, and the lies behind decades-old feuds are about to be unearthed.

The characters within this story are some of the most unique and multi-faceted that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a long while. At the same time, the writing style is poetic yet down-to-earth, while the themes of forgiveness and following God’s leading sing loud and clear through a thought-provoking storyline. One of my favorite parts of the story was how Colman, a preacher, told Bible stories in a way that the people of his community could relate to, as though the people of the Bible lived just over in the next county and had ordinary lives much like their own – until God intervened in their ordinary.

With threads of romance, mystery, and redemption woven in as well, this story is one that I definitely recommend. Several difficult themes and upsetting scenes should be noted, making this book unsuitable for younger readers, but overall “When Silence Sings” is a book that will leave a lasting impression on your heart and mind. It is a story of redemption that comes about in the most unexpected of ways – and it reminds us of the power and change that can take place when we follow God’s leading.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”