SYNOPSIS

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 a few months later, the German army invades neutral Belgium with the intent of 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, constant fear and the dreadful impacts of war. In 1917, Helene falls in love with a young Canadian soldier who was 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. [provided by the author]

PRAISE FOR LIES TOLD IN SILENCE

“M.K. Tod captures [the] sorrowful sense of loss of men and women caught up in a tide beyond their control, one that would transform their lives beyond recognition.  She has created characters that readers will care about and effectively dramatized how soldiers suffered, physically and psychologically, in the so-called ‘Great War’.”

– Sharon Kay Penman author of A King’s Ransom.

“Rich with distinctive details, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE, is a fully dimensional tale, a crisp rendering of war on all fronts. An intricate, well-researched study of life forever changed by WWI yet still sweet with the tender innocence of the age. With sterling prose, Tod captures the period and the nuanced tension of her story perfectly.”

– Donna Russo Morin author of The King’s Agent.

“An exquisite tale of true love and living with the choices we make set amidst the tumultuousness of World War I. Compelling and poignant, I was deeply engrossed from the first page to the last, unable to pull myself away from Helene’s story. M.K. Tod is a powerful new voice in the historical fiction genre and I eagerly await her next release.”

– AMY BRUNO Historical fiction blogger at Passages to the Past.

“In her accomplished second novel, M.K. Tod depicts the ruinous impact of war on human lives across the generations—young people, their parents, women, and soldiers. A multi-layered depiction of a French family adversely affected by World War I … an absorbing and rewarding historical read, well-timed for the centenary.”

MARGARET EVANS PORTER Author of The Proposal.

“Readers of M.K. Tod’s multi-generational WWI story will particularly enjoy seeing the war through the eyes of both men and women, and from the corridors of power to the front lines and small villages of northern France. LIES TOLD IN SILENCE is a compelling read right up to its taut page-turning ending.”

– RICHARD LEE Founder of the Historical Novel Society.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR