The Silent History : A Novel
Author(s): Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby, Kevin Moffett
A generation of children forced to live without words.
It begins as a statistical oddity: a spike in children born with acute speech delays. Physically normal in every way, these children never speak and do not respond to speech; they don't learn to read, don't learn to write. As the number of cases grows to an epidemic level, theories spread. Maybe it's related to a popular antidepressant; maybe it's environmental. Or maybe these children have special skills all their own.
The Silent History unfolds in a series of brief testimonials from parents, teachers, friends, doctors, cult leaders, profiteers, and impostors (everyone except, of course, the children themselves), documenting the growth of the so-called silent community into an elusive, enigmatic force in itself—alluring to some, threatening to others. Both a bold storytelling experiment and a propulsive reading experience, Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby, and Kevin Moffett's The Silent History is at once thrilling, timely, and timeless.
Review(s):
“Terrific.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Ingenious . . . A richly textured vision of a dystopian future.” —Publishers Weely (Starred Review)
“Fascinating.” —Liz Colville, San Francisco Chronicle
“A sprawling, captivating work.” —Dave Thier, Forbes
“Brilliant . . . A vital work of art.” —The Huffington Post
Long-listed The Telegraph (UK) Best Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed The Independent (UK) Best Books of the Year (2014)
ISBN: 9780374534479