Lies Told in Silence
By: M.K. Tod
Format/Source: Paperback courtesy of the author as part of the Lies Told in Silence France Book Tours
My review of the novel

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.

Hello again, everyone! My review of M.K. Tod’s latest novel, Lies Told in Silence (review), has just gone live as part of a book blog tour hosted by France Book Tours. As part of my participation in the tour, I also had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions about the novel and the writing process. So thank you again to France Book Tours and M.K. Tod for taking the time to answer my questions 🙂

1. Reading your novel, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that events from this story bridged over in a way with your debut novel, Unravelled. Was that always the plan?
   The truthful answer is that there was no plan at all! I began writing on a whim while living in Hong Kong for three years unable to secure employment because I was the ‘trailing spouse’. As Unravelled took shape I could see possibilities for sequels. For example, at one point I thought I would write a novel about Emily who is the daughter of Ann and Edward Jamieson, the main characters of Unravelled. Emily is patterned on my mother who has had quite an interesting life. However, at times serendipity plays a role and in this case, one of my early readers said she wanted to learn more about Helene Noisette who is Edward’s WWI lover. That suggestion resonated for me especially since I loved the idea of exploring France and Paris. It was amazingly liberating to write Lies Told in Silence because I was not confined in any way by the history of my grandparents.

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