The Whispers

Ashley Audrain

*Family dynamics/motherhood/loss *

In The Whispers, we meet four families living in a suburban area, whose lives are changed when something terrible happens too close to home.  One of the mothers (Whitney) remains quiet as she sits next to her son Xavier who lies in a coma after falling from his bedroom window.  The neighborhood is left in shock and are saddened for the Loverly family but are also feeling heavy with their own realities; one family who can’t conceive, and another who lives in the moment with their adult son who has a developmental disability.

What really happened that night? And what sacrifices is one mother willing to make for her family?

Setting: There was a stark difference to the recent beach-read theme I had just wrapped up to The Whispers, but I was excited to dive into Ashley Audrain’s second novel after her successful debut with The Push. Similarly, to her first novel, Ashley brings us back to suburbia, painting the picture of a traditional close-knit neighborhood, only, is it? I eat up novels that connect us to a particular neighborhood, drama-and-all, and the secrets or tragedies buried between them.

Situation: This novel, like Audrain’s first, highlights motherhood complexities. Once becoming a wife and/or mother, there are a lot of difficult decisions one must make. When one family’s son winds up in a coma after falling from his bedroom window, we are presented with such devastating realities.  Told between the four family’s perspectives over the course of one week, we begin to understand what terrible truths connect them to each other. This novel shows us how in one instant your life can change and sometimes you must make difficult choices.  We are met with some heavy subject matter that I was not expecting, but stays true to the author’s innate ability to bring real life emotional turmoil through the pages.

Synergy: The elements of this novel worked for me. I think seeing the behind-the-scenes struggles of each of the four families and their thoughts on the matter of this one night blended perfectly together.  

Have you read this novel? How does it stack up against The Push, for you?