the silence project book review

Review: The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

Rajvi Glasbrook-Griffiths

On Emilia’s thirteenth birthday, her mother, Rachel Morris, sets up a tent at the bottom of the garden and stops speaking. Eight years on, in a coordinated act named the Event, Rachel and twenty-one thousand of her followers from across the world burn themselves to death.

What began as a Greenham Common like protest has snowballed into the Community, a powerful global movement with influence and reach in every sphere of public and private life. The line between cult and culture is opaque even if the Community’s exclusively sinister message is ruthlessly clear: ‘those who are not with us are against us’.

The book opens with Emilia setting out to publish her mother’s notebooks and in doing so to emerge from that all-pervading legacy, to set down her own voice.

The Silence Project is Carole Hailey’s debut novel. It is as terrifyingly relatable as it is dystopian, as multilayered and philosophical as it is grippingly compulsive, and as much reminiscent of writers such as Margaret Atwood, Naomi Alderman and Miriam Toews as it is inventive and original.

Polarity and protest

This intelligent balance also plays out in the novel’s themes. The cover boldly sets Rachel out: Activist, Disruptor, Trailblazer, Mother Martyr, Murderer. As we read her, she further emerges as many other things too, not least a woman lacking and seeking purpose, in need of peace and space to make sense of her life, and a human being deeply sensitive to the state of our world. The world is manically, discordantly noisy and no one is listening to anyone else, and so Rachel wants to listen. Moreover, she wants to hear.

Hailey writes in a way that continually negotiates and challenges our perceptions and boundaries: between protest and responsibility, silence and voice, listening and hearing, the particular and the universal. In her novel, ‘Spring, Ali Smith writes of boundaries not as places where two places separate, but as where two points meet and meld, and this resonates here. Rachel is many Rachels. ‘It was a bit wearing trying to anticipate which mother would make an appearance on any given day…,’ writes Emilia.

Eventually, Rachel abandons being a mother altogether for what she deems a higher purpose. This will sit differently with each reader. Are mothers mothers above individuals? Does a utilitarian sense of purpose override personal responsibilities? Are our answers to these the same for women and men both?

Rachel’s messianic shadow looms heavy on all that happens after her, over the global actions of the Community as well as the lives of her husband and daughter. She is at once a malicious eminence grise and a scapegoat open to the projections of all.

In our current global state of perpetual crisis, agendas collide and powers clash. Whilst rights are not pie, rights can indeed conflict. One such very disturbing ethical issue ends up facing Emilia directly when she becomes involved with the Community and goes to work in the Democratic republic of Congo.

The narrative throws up many other questions too along the way, the kind with no clear answers. Is silence really silent if words are still communicated through technology? To what extent is the internet integral to modern protest movements? Certainly in the case of recent events in Iran the internet has been a vital vehicle for communication. Moreover, movements such as Extinction Rebellion rely heavily on social media to garner support.

Whatever the nature of the cause the internet, like the very act of protest itself, galvanises as much as it polarises, and both regularly take on radical centrifugal momentums of their own. The exponential nature of this is well charted and portrayed here, and apportioning of responsibility depends on the moral question of where does Rachel as the founder end and the community begin, or are they the one and same?

In such a dissonant and polarised world, Rachel who relinquishes her voice for silence has left herself entirely open to interpretation.

Hailey effortlessly incorporates fictional citations, reports and academic references to powerful effect. Descriptions of ‘The Daughters of the Redundant Voicebox’, a group of women having surgery to induce vocal-cord hemorrhage, and the ‘Johnson-hill detentions’ are profoundly uneasy, but they are also not too removed from the type of more and more alarming newspaper exposes that less and less shock us in recent times. ‘But here we are in the prequel. We’re in pre-hell. This is how it begins,’ warns Emilia. Discords and cruelties

Emilia’s relationship with her mother is inevitably full of resentment and very broken. Some of the disappointments have long preceded Rachel’s silence and protest. In those more ordinary discords and cruelties we see a reflection of the flaws in a mother-daughter relationship that are either universally human or the incipient beginnings of Rachel’s future actions to come.

The ending returns the reader to reflect on what it can mean to be a mother and a daughter, and the vast terrain of expectation and love that stretches between the two.

It is also a very loud message about the power of words, both silent and spoken, and about the choices we make, since consequences have their own ripples and sound.

The Silence Project by Carole Hailey is published by Corvus, Atlantic Books. It is available here or from all good bookshops.

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Looking for something in particular, a daughter grapples with her cultist mother’s shocking sacrifice in the silence project.

Carole Hailey’s debut novel is captivating. The Silence Project is the fictional memoir of a young woman whose mother, the leader of a cult dedicated to silence, burns herself to death, along with thousands of other cult members around the world. The premise sounds like it may be a bleak and heavy read – I was sceptical when it was first handed to me – but the Cardigan-based author’s skill and craftsmanship makes the book a nimble and fascinating page-turner.

Adopting a multimedia approach to writing, the novel combines memoir-style prose with fictional excerpts from newspaper articles, letters, emails, and books to create an alternate history that could, if you didn’t know any better, be an account of a true crime. A concept that may seem far-fetched becomes all-encompassing as you map how not just one woman’s life but an entire culture travels to the point of no return. 

A story that covers family and society, corruption and healing, The Silence Project is an ideal blend of fact and fiction, narrative and reflection. Emilia, the novel’s protagonist, is at points frank and unemotional, at others earnest and heartfelt. Though heavy at times in both subject matter and content, this book feels perfectly balanced.

The Silence Project, Carole Hailey (Corvus)

Price: £16.99. Info: here

words HARI BERROW

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Book Review: The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

I’m excited to be on the blog tour for The Silence Project by Carole Hailey. This is a step away from my usual reads of romcoms, paranormal thrillers, family dramas and anything witchy but the striking cover, tagline and then blurb drew me in.

It promised to be impactful, and thought provoking. Scroll down to see if it delivered.

Book Review: The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

Title: The Silence Project

Author: Carole Hailey

Publisher: Corvus

Genre: Dystopian, fiction

Release Date: 9th February 2023

On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death.

In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now.

When she publishes her own account of her mother’s life in a memoir called The Silence Project, Emilia also decides to reveal just how sinister the Community has become. In the process, she steps out of Rachel’s shadow once and for all, so that her own voice may finally be heard.

My Thoughts

It’s now over a week since I finished reading The Silence Project, yet my mind still keeps drifting back to it, unnerving me, especially while I read or listen to the news about the changes in protest laws and freedom of speech. The power of this book is how relatable it is making it easy to imagine something like this happening. This then leads to the uneasy realisation of how your own life would be affected if it did.

Told in Emelia’s voice with a smattering of related emails, articles and journal entries, it has two distinct parts: pre-event and post. I found myself more hooked in the run up to the event which highlighted the changing relationship between mother and daughter when Rachel made her decision and the impact this had on the family. Being a mum, I can’t imagine essentially abandoning my daughter for a cause, however important. Some scenes gave an emotional punch. The event itself was horrific and the consequences far reaching. 

The post-event chapters were more dystopian and showed how a simple idea and phrase made with goodness in mind can snowball into something colossal and horrifying. The backdrop of hatred, extremism, climate change and political upheaval were too close to comfort at times but it made it more compelling. The ending tapped into my insecurities and added to my sleepless nights.

Powerful, and disturbing, this clever novel is ideal for book clubs, as there are many topical and moral issues to debate and consider. It delivered it’s promise and is perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Author Biography

Carole Hailey completed the six-month Guardian/UEA novel writing course taught by Bernardine Evaristo, who imbued Carole with such a love for writing fiction that she abandoned her career in law to undertake an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, followed by a PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University. Carole was a London Library Emerging Writer 2020/21. The Silence Project is her first published novel and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award 2020 and highly commended by the judges. She lives in Wales with her husband and two rescue dogs.

Thank you Random Things Tours for the blog invite and advanced copy of this book to so I could give an honest and unbiased review.

Happy reading!

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Author of A Blend of Magic, tea addict and book hoarder who reviews books to share my love of books. Creator of the Enchanted Emporium and its resident witches and ghosts. View all posts by kakenzieblog

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Thanks for the blog tour support x

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Reviews, new releases and more, the silence project by carole hailey #review.

Title: The Silence Project Author: Carole Hailey Publisher: Corvus

On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death. In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. When she publishes her own account of her mother’s life in a memoir called The Silence Project, Emilia also decides to reveal just how sinister the Community has become. In the process, she steps out of Rachel’s shadow once and for all, so that her own voice may finally be heard.

The Silence Project is a unique novel which is scarily believable – you could easily think this was a true account as it seamlessly blends real-life world events with fiction.

Emilia’s mother, Rachel, moved out of the family pub into the garden on Emilia’s thirteenth birthday, and never speaks again. She founded an organisation (some may say cult ): the ‘community’, and after eight years of demonstrations, protests, and most importantly silence , Rachel (along with thousands of other members all over the world) killed herself.

The Silence Project is told from Emilia’s perspective as she writes a ‘tell-all’ book about her experiences growing up with her mother until her death and after – in fact, the book IS Emilia’s ‘tell-all’ book so as the reader, we’re reading the autobiography Emilia is writing.

I found it absorbing and addictive reading as we follow her life and struggles dealing with her mother’s legacy. I felt conflicting emotions reading it – I really felt for Emilia but, though I understood her mother was trying to make a statement and create change in the world, the way she went about it felt so cruel to her family. The story takes you on a real rollercoaster of emotions as we follow Emilia’s own reactions to her mother’s behaviour – and the reaction from the rest of the world. You can really imagine people reacting in the ways they did, and the community’s actions sometimes echo real-life events.

However, I felt it tailed off a bit after Rachel’s death. Emilia’s work with Community afterwards felt a bit long and dragged a bit for me, meaning I lost a bit of interest in it as we entered the last third of the book. It was still a really great read, but I think the real addictive, gripping element of the storyline cooled off a bit as Rachel died, unfortunately. Still, I would really recommend this book to anyone fancying a thought-provoking original and authentic-feeling read.

My rating: 4/5

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The Silence Project – Carole Hailey

Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo called The Silence Project “engrossing and original, political and unpredictable… [a book that] will get people talking,”. That’s a tantalising blurb, so I was thrilled when Corvus Books (via Allen & Unwin ) sent me a copy for review.

The premise: on Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death.

The Silence Project is styled as Emilia’s account of her mother’s silent protest, and the fall-out. It’s a kind of alternate history in two halves – a biography of Rachel up to the Event, and an exposé of the Community afterward.

The prose is frank, and completely believable. It reads like it is an actual account of actual events. I did notice a few small inconsistencies in the story, but as this is an advance review copy of The Silence Project , they may be ironed out by the time the final version hits the shelves. And besides, they didn’t bother me as much as the heavy-handed foreshadowing.

This is the kind of quasi-dystopian feminist fiction that will definitely appeal to fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments . I don’t doubt it will be popular with book clubs as soon as it’s released, and there’s probably a film adaptation in our future.

Buy The Silence Project on Booktopia here.

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Book Review- The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

I won’t deny it, I am so far behind with my book reviews that I won’t do them all but this one stood out as a book I needed to review.

Thanks to Netgalley UK for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Silence Project is written from the point of view of Emilia Morris. On her 12 th birthday her mother, Rachel decided to move into a tent at the bottom of the garden. She also commits to never speak a word ever again. As word spreads about the silent woman who listens and doesn’t speak, other women come to join her and before long a community is built up. But, only 8 years later many of these followers decide to silence themselves forever in an event which shakes the world and pushes Emilia into the spotlight as the surviving daughter.

After the big event, the community continues to grow and evolve and become a global group and so everyone seems to know or have something to say about Rachel, except her daughter, Emilia. Until now. Now she has decided to speak out and tell her story.

One of the first things that stood out to me about this book was that it is written in the 1 st and 2 nd tense which is a rarity in books. This is written in memoir format as if the events which took place were real and even refers to diaries of Emilia’s which of course don’t exist. The rare but effective use of the 2 nd person is often used to emphasise a point or remind the reader of something that if this were real they would most likely know about.

Emilia’s account is raw, emotional and completely from the heart as she regales us with the tales of her mother as well as Emilia’s life and how she was affected. She also includes letters written by other important characters in the story such as her father and her best friend, two people who were always around during the time in which Rachel’s cult was created and grew.

This is a story of how one person’s beliefs and legacy can get out of hand. Although referred to as a community the word cult very much springs to mind and this novel highlights the dangers of a cult. It also shows the aftermath of Rachel and others big event and how the cult grows under new leadership, often twisting and changing Rachel’s written word to adapt to the way they want to run it.

In Harry Potter, Voldemort said “There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it” and the power struggle is very much rife in this book. When Rachel starts her vow of silence it is more an inner power, but as the community/ cult grows those who seek more power are often the ones willing to put others in harm’s way to achieve it.

The activities in which the cult take part in especially post Rachel could often be seen as controversial as well as another way to seek power elsewhere and this book is sure to shock you at the lengths some members go to, in order to achieve this power.

The format in which Carole writes makes the story become almost too real at times and it is easy to become infuriated that people would do this, until you remember it is all fiction. Surely the sign of a fantastic writer. The pacing is perfect and I never found myself bored, in fact the theme combined with the format and narrative gripped me throughout.

If you are looking for a controversial, emotional read about cults and the dangers of them I would highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A gripping read which will have you hooked until the end.

Silence Project is out now and you can get it from the amazon link below

https://amzn.to/3OqBQOE

Are you into reading books about cults? Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Much love ❤️

* Please note that by using this link, you will be supporting the site as we may get a small commission from this affiliate link.

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ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

The Silence Project by Carole Hailey will be published by Corvus tomorrow in hardcover and eBook. My thanks to Kirsty Doole for the proof package.

Monster. Martyr. Mother. On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death. In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. When she publishes her own account of her mother’s life in a memoir called  The Silence Project,  Emilia also decides to reveal just how sinister the Community has become. In the process, she steps out of Rachel’s shadow once and for all, so that her own voice may finally be heard.

What makes this book quite unique is the fact that it’s fiction but it’s written as though it’s Emilia’s memoir. I both liked and disliked this method of telling the story. The dislike, I suspect, is rooted in the fact that I’m not a great fan of non-fiction and there are large parts of this book that really do read like a true account. Even now, I can’t help wondering if Rachel of Chalkham, as she became known, was real, and whether the burning really did happen. More regular non-fiction readers, therefore, might find they enjoy the sections that feel particularly factual (there are even citations with references to articles, books etc).

What I liked was the story overall which felt different to others that I’ve read, and when it dipped more towards a fictional style I really loved Emilia’s account of life with, and without, her mother, how she dealt with before and after ‘the event’ and how the whole experience affected her later decisions.

Carole Hailey’s writing is extremely good and it’s hard to believe this is a debut. If it was real, the facts would be truly horrifying. As it is, even though I knew it was a work of fiction, I still felt shocked by the decisions that Rachel made and the effects of her actions. If this book had been written completely as a story I think I would have found it more to my taste but I can’t deny it’s a compelling read that will stay with me.

Carole Hailey  completed the six-month Guardian/UEA novel writing course taught by Bernardine Evaristo, who imbued Carole with such a love for writing fiction that she abandoned her career in law to undertake an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, followed by a PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University. Carole was a London Library Emerging Writer 2020/21.  The Silence Project  is her first published novel and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award 2020 and highly commended by the judges. She lives in Wales with her husband and two rescue dogs.

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BelEdit Book Reviews

Fiona's Book Blog

The Silence Project

What if we stop talking and start listening?

I absolutely loved The Silence Project . I was hungry for a feminist novel with a dystopian (or utopian) slant, and this delivered in spades.

The protagonist is Emilia, daughter of Rachel of Chalkham, who was the founder of the Community. Emilia tells the story of how it all started and of how the Community evolved from its founder’s initial ideas. On Emilia’s 13th birthday, her mother moved into the garden and stopped speaking. As Emilia rails at being abandoned, women start to gather around Rachel, finding solace in her silence and how she listens to them. The movement grows. And grows. And grows. Some years later, Rachel stages the Event, and the Community’s power and global influence snowballs.

It’s a wonderfully constructed multilayered novel, where the story is revealed piece by piece, keeping the reader intrigued. Emilia’s frustration is well captured as she strives to hold onto her mother while the Community appropriates her for themselves and their own purposes. Her fundamental frustration (what did her mother really mean??? what is listening??? ) pervades the book.

It’s an especially interesting novel to read in these times, as we witness the cult of the individual sparking right-wing waves in many countries. While the Community’s goals – to save the world (from climate change, overpopulation and poverty) – are more worthy, this book nevertheless asks valid questions about cults, about power politics and manipulation, about female empowerment and about utilitarianism/consequentialism : does the end ever fully justify the means?

With a great cast of well-drawn characters – both likeable and nasty -, strong writing overall and great pacing, The Silence Project is a clever novel of ideas and a cracking good read.

My thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

Find The Silence Project on Amazon and at other bookstores, from 9 February 2023. Available for pre-order.

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The Silence Project Hardcover – 9 Feb. 2023

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The gripping story of what it's like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world - perfect for fans of The Power and Vox A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 'Engrossing and original. The Silence Project will get people talking' Bernardine Evaristo Mother. Martyr. Murderer. On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by Rachel's example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever. In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community's global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel - whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr - but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. Readers can't stop shouting about The Silence Project : 'A true masterpiece' ***** 'One hell of a book!' ***** 'Had me hooked' ***** 'Red-hot' ***** 'I don't think I've ever read a book as quickly' ***** 'Gave me the shivers' *****

• Print length 400 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Corvus
• Publication date 9 Feb. 2023
• Dimensions 15.3 x 2.5 x 23.4 cm
• ISBN-10 1838956069
• ISBN-13 978-1838956066
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Corvus; Main edition (9 Feb. 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1838956069
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838956066
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.3 x 2.5 x 23.4 cm
• 2,492 in Political Fiction (Books)
• 3,018 in Political Thrillers (Books)
• 3,143 in Legal Thrillers (Books)

About the author

Carole hailey.

Carole Hailey’s first novel, The Silence Project, published in February 2023, was Corvus' lead debut. It was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, a #1 Kindle Bestseller, a Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month and a Booksellers Association Indie Book of the month, selected by a panel of independent booksellers.

Carole completed the six-month Guardian/UEA novel writing course taught by Bernardine Evaristo, following which she abandoned a career in law to undertake an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths. Her MA was followed by a PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University, which she completed in 2020. She was also a London Library Emerging Writer 2020/21.

Carole lives in Wales with her husband and two dogs and can be found on Instagram @carolehaileyx

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Book Club Chat

May 2023 Book Club Recommendation: The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

By Joanne Owen | 1st May 2023

By turns unexpected and shocking, gripping and moving, and always thought-provoking, it’s the kind of story that’ll set you thinking about how you’d respond to such an extraordinary situation, and have you asking big questions about social change, social movements, and the nature of big organisations. It’s also a thrilling page-turner with emotional depth.

Read on for some topics to kickstart your book club discussions about The Silence Project. For more ideas, browse our book club recommendations category , and explore more discussion questions .

1. “No matter what she did, Rachel was very human. She was deeply flawed and deeply courageous. She was a bad person and a good one. She was also my mother” . How does this early excerpt set out the novel’s themes? Do you agree with Emilia’s assessment of her mother?

2. “I don’t know if it ever occurred to my mother just how lucky she was that she had Dad, Gran and me” . Is there any evidence that Rachel realised she was lucky to have them? Could they have done more for her?

3. Discuss connections between the rise of the Community and major global disasters. 

4. What does the rapid expansion of the Community reveal about our world? And what does the “brutal” backlash against it reveal? 

5. How did you feel when the “mob” arrived to intervene, claiming “It’s for your own good”? Was it for the good of the women?  Why did the mob think the women needed to be saved? What did they think they were saving them from?

6. “Action born of anger can never be positive. Our world needed positive action. And that can only happen if we stop shouting. First, we must fall silent. Then we must listen to others. Only when we hear others, will we ourselves be heard” . 

Discuss this excerpt and the Community’s “Shhh… Talk less, listen more” slogan. Do you agree with the opinion expressed in the excerpt? Or is the movement a “post-modern, feminist production of the Emperor’s New Clothes”, as one early press detractor suggested?

7. “The current generation of politicians… are so in love with the sound of their own voices, they can no longer hear ours” . Discuss the political resonance of Rachel’s movement.

8. In the words of one detractor, “Rachel’s legacy is pure evil” .  Is Rachel culpable for what her act of silence led to?

9. “Rachel’s silence was a weapon” . Discuss. In what sense might silence be considered a weapon?

10. “She remained a stalwart in the Chalkham camp and one of my Mum’s fiercest supporters. Gran never questioned Mum’s choices” . Why do you think Gran remained so loyal?

11. Were you surprised when Emilia took a job in the Community after the Event? Were you surprised the Event attracted “countless” new members?

12. Discuss the cultural imperialism of the Community’s work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

13. How do you feel about the euthCare programme? Do you agree with Emelia that it’s “stunning in ambition, diabolical in intention” ?

14. “Finally, I am able to say that I am proud of my mother.” What did you think of the way the novel ended?

15. Community members are described as women who “wanted to be heard” . Is this a feminist novel?

16. Why do you think the author wrote The Silence Project ? What did you take from reading it? 

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Book reviews, book chat – basically anything books , the silence project by carole hailey – blog tour review.

Title : The Silence Project

Author : Carole Hailey

Genre : Fiction

Publisher : Corvus

Publication Date : 9th February 2023

Rating : 4/5

Monster. Martyr. Mother. On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death. In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. When she publishes her own account of her mother’s life in a memoir called The Silence Project, Emilia also decides to reveal just how sinister the Community has become. In the process, she steps out of Rachel’s shadow once and for all, so that her own voice may finally be heard.

I was so intrigued by the premise of The Silence Project and overall I have to say it really held up to its promise! The story is basically a book within a book – with the narrative coming from the daughter of the leader of the cult-like ‘community’ that stages a devastatingly cataclysmic ‘event’. I loved this way of structuring the story – it felt like reading nonfiction in a sense and I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t real.

Emilia is an informative and measured narrator as she tells the reader about her hugely infamous mother and the titular silence project and I felt all of her conflicting emotions with a forcefulness that is one of the book’s greatest strengths. There is also a fascinating exploration of the difference between a cult and a movement, a hero and a villain, and a martyr and a murderer. I felt the first half of the book was the more powerful overall – but I would highly recommend picking this thought provoking novel up – it is original, smart and will linger in your mind for a long time as you try to work out how you feel about Rachel of Chalkham and her actions.

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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Home / Book reviews / The Silence Project: The gripping and original BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick

The Silence Project: The gripping and original BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick

By Carole Hailey

The gripping story of what it’s like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world – perfect for fans of The Power and Vox

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER

Inspired by Rachel’s example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever.

In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now.

Rachel I absolutely loved this book and thought it was well worth it to pay a little bit more rather than get a 99p book on Amazon. The biography style prose with footnotes and links almost had me wondering if this was a real world event that I'd somehow missed. There was so much emotional depth to the story, and I really felt the protagonist's conflict and turmoil, and the insidious nature of the Community was so cleverly written. The moral message felt clear without being heavy handed. 10/10

Mabe I'm sorry the silence project is not my kind of read. I'm not into cults and I found it rather boring in parts . Score 3

Eve Another fairly easy to read book. Stupidly I started at the beginning and not read the bit at the end, where it tells you that this is a story when I started the book it was so convincing that I googled a couple of things I thought the book seemed very real. I can see it happening. It would have ruined the girls life and although she did it for good reason - it wasn't good for everyone working for the charity later in life was an error for her daughter as she was not comfortable with her mothers notoriety. I enjoyed the book, it was well thought out and the author quite cleverly made it seem real. I will score it 8

Arleen I am sorry to say that I only managed 130 pages. I found this book so boring and unbelievable that I just couldn't read any more. I will give it 3/10

Carolyn I didn't really enjoy The Silence Project. It took quite a while to read and I found it quite hard going. The last third was better but it just wasn't my thing. I give it 5

Cat I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, Hailey attempted to create a world with very different values from the one we live in. I just couldn't buy into the premise that a cult which promotes suicide would become mainstream and powerful in our society. On the other hand, I did enjoy some of her writing, specifically her description of the rainforest in the Congo. I also never felt like I had properly understood - or that she had properly explained - what the actual purpose of the silence project was. Overall I think that although Hailey is a potentially good writer, the plot was too ambitious and required me to suspend belief too much for it to work. 5/10

Chris A very different read for me and one which I enjoyed. I liked that it was written as a biography and was drawn into it from the start. I will give it 8

Sonia This was a very well written book, so much so that it really did feel as though I was reading about a real event and I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction! I found the story interesting and it held my attention until the end when it was extremely disappointing that the issue of Rachel's diaries came up again and it was clear that Emilia had not read them when they were first given to her. I found the fact that she had not done so frustrating and difficult to understand as they would have given her so much more of an insight into what Rachel really wanted to achieve rather than listening to her followers views without being able to correct them. It shows clearly that followers of any particular belief system can distort or pervert the teachings to suit themselves and explains how vastly different religions for example develop from one set of basic premises. So, it was interesting and different but the ending was so frustrating that I can only give it a 6 out of 10.

Average Score 6 out of 10

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The Silence Project: The gripping and original BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick Kindle Edition

The gripping story of what it's like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world - perfect for fans of The Power and Vox A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 'Engrossing and original. The Silence Project will get people talking' Bernardine Evaristo Mother. Martyr. Murderer. On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by Rachel's example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever. In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community's global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel - whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr - but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. Readers can't stop shouting about The Silence Project : 'A true masterpiece' ***** 'One hell of a book!' ***** 'Had me hooked' ***** 'Red-hot' ***** 'I don't think I've ever read a book as quickly' ***** 'Gave me the shivers' *****

• Print length 388 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Corvus
• Publication date February 9, 2023
• File size 1437 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B9G3MQTG
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Corvus (February 9, 2023)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 9, 2023
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1437 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 388 pages
• #3,531 in Political Thrillers & Suspense
• #11,561 in Dystopian Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
• #12,884 in Dystopian Fiction (Books)

About the author

Carole hailey.

Carole Hailey’s first novel, The Silence Project, published in February 2023, was Corvus' lead debut. It was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, a #1 Kindle Bestseller, a Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month and a Booksellers Association Indie Book of the month, selected by a panel of independent booksellers.

Carole completed the six-month Guardian/UEA novel writing course taught by Bernardine Evaristo, following which she abandoned a career in law to undertake an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths. Her MA was followed by a PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University, which she completed in 2020. She was also a London Library Emerging Writer 2020/21.

Carole lives in Wales with her husband and two dogs and can be found on Instagram @carolehaileyx

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Yvonne – Me and My Books

Books, book reviews and bookish news.

The Silence Project by Carole Hailey @CorvusBooks #NetGalley #TheSilenceProject #dystopian #fiction #bookreview

I am delighted to share my review today for The Silence Project by Carole Hailey . This is a very thought-provoking novel set in the near future and I adored it.

My huge thanks to Corvus Books who granted my request to read and review this book via NetGalley .

On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death.

In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now.

When she publishes her own account of her mother’s life in a memoir called The Silence Project, Emilia also decides to reveal just how sinister the Community has become. In the process, she steps out of Rachel’s shadow once and for all, so that her own voice may finally be heard.

This was a brilliant book to read and the cover as well as the synopsis definitely caught my eye. This is a dystopian novel set in the near future. Rachel, a wife and mother decides to go to the bottom of the garden to live, she doesn’t tell anyone why she has done this as she has decided to stop speaking. She decides that she is going to listen to the world around her and while this sounds like a good thing to do she has walked out on her daughter’s 13th Birthday.

The story flits back and forth from the perspective of the daughter, Emilia. There are also accounts in the form of emails from various other people mentioned in the story. I do have to remember that this is a work of fiction but it does read quite alarmingly as an actual account of something that may have happened.

While this story is about Emilia, it is also much more profound than that. It tells of how a simple action from Rachel gradually gathers momentum, attention and publicity. All this is going on while Emilia is growing up as a teen than as an adult. In the future setting the author brings a different turn than I expected, but it does actually work well within the story.

This could so easily be seen as a work of fact, and there are many factual events that are included. Trying to work out or remember what has happened against the fictional events is something that made me shudder at times. In a world where the population is rising, where people are starving, and the climate is changing there are groups that are standing up and making their voices heard. This is where I think this story is clever as it is the absence of a voice that makes the loudest noise.

The beginning half of the book deals with life, how people are being drawn to Rachel and how her simple act of not talking but listening to others gains momentum. This gradually leads to an Event that shocks the world and for a moment the world is silent together in horror. After the Event, the story takes on a more sinister and troubling but also very understandable turn. The Event has given the Community as it is referred to a momentum that cannot be stopped. While I am not going to say much more about this, it does actually feel that it could happen and this is the shocking part of the story. I have noticed that this book has many reviews and that readers are divided. For me, it worked incredibly well and I adored it. It was a story that I thought about when I wasn’t reading it and one that drew me straight back into it when I picked it up again.

I enjoyed this one a lot, it comes across as being a possibility in a world that is full of negativity at the moment and I can understand the thought behind the positivity and hope that the author expresses through her silent character. The role of the daughter being caught up in her mum’s actions is given in a very convincing way and this made it a very readable story.

If you are a fan of dystopian fiction then this is one that may interest you. I for one am very glad I spotted this book and read it and I would definitely recommend it as it is very thought-provoking.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

2 thoughts on “ The Silence Project by Carole Hailey @CorvusBooks #NetGalley #TheSilenceProject #dystopian #fiction #bookreview ”

Love the sound of this one Yvonne, I definitely want to read or listen to it. Fantastic review! xx

Like Liked by 1 person

Thanks Nicki, I got on with this one so much. Such a brilliant book xx

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The Silence Project

4 January 2024

Published by Corvus

ISBN: 9781838956080

RRP: £16.99

9 February 2023

ISBN: 9781838956066

ISBN: 9781838956073

The gripping story of what it’s like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world – perfect for fans of The Power and Vox A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER ‘Engrossing and original. The Silence Project will get people talking’ Bernardine Evaristo

Mother. Martyr. Murderer.

On Emilia Morris’s thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word.

Inspired by Rachel’s example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever.

In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community’s global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel – whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr – but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now.

Readers can’t stop shouting about The Silence Project : ‘A true masterpiece’ ***** ‘One hell of a book!’ ***** ‘Had me hooked’ ***** ‘Red-hot’ ***** ‘I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as quickly’ ***** ‘Gave me the shivers’ *****

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