Beyond the Silence by Tracie Petterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

 

Lillian Porter has always dreamed of following her mother's dream of going west.  Her grandfather won't have anything to do with her if she does.  Lillian has accepted a position as a nanny in the town of Angels Camp, California.   When she arrives and tells people why she is there, they instantly tell her to get back on the stage coach and go back to where she came from!  Lillian struggles to understand what the people are saying about her employer Woodward (Woody) Colton.

While there is a darkness in the family, Lillian falls in love with her charge.  Seven year old Jimmy.  Jimmy has spoken a word since his mother was killed over a year ago.  The murder threatened to kill him as well if he said anything and he takes that literally.   As she begins to work with him, Jimmy slowly begins to come out of his shell, but he still won't talk.

When the housekeeper Mrs. Goodman (who hates her first name!) is brutally attacked in the home, the town suspects the worse again.  Nothing of the truth that Lillian tries to explain will be listened to.  Slowly though some people do start to believe, but will it be enough?  Will Lillian be able to clear up everything that is going on?  Is her life in danger?  Will Jimmy ever talk again and say what he saw?

What a wonderfully told story!  Your heart aches for the deep hurt that Woody and Jimmy are feeling and you want to be able to step through the pages of the book and stand along side them.  You can almost feel the hatred of the townspeople rolling of the pages.

I loved the character of Harry.  He is such a sweet young man, who only wants to help people, but so many people won't accept him.  It was such a struggle then as it is even still today.

The book started really moving at the end and was very hard to put down!  Tracie Petterson and Kimberley Woodhouse have done a remarkable job!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.