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Contents (121)
  1. THE SILENCE
  2. Susan Allott
  3. Copyright
  4. Praise for The Silence:
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. London, 1997
  8. 2
  9. Sydney, 1966
  10. 3
  11. Ivanhoe, New South Wales, 1966
  12. 4
  13. Sydney, 1967
  14. 5
  15. Sydney, 1967
  16. 6
  17. Sydney, 1997
  18. 7
  19. Sydney, 1967
  20. 8
  21. Sydney, 1967
  22. 9
  23. Sydney, 1967
  24. 10
  25. Sydney, 1967
  26. 11
  27. Sydney, 1997
  28. 12
  29. Sydney, 1967
  30. 13
  31. Sydney, 1967
  32. 14
  33. Sydney, 1997
  34. 15
  35. Sydney, 1967
  36. 16
  37. Sydney, 1967
  38. 17
  39. Leeds, 1967
  40. 18
  41. Sydney, 1967
  42. 19
  43. Sydney, 1997
  44. 20
  45. Sydney, 1967
  46. 21
  47. Ivanhoe, 1967
  48. 22
  49. Leeds, 1967
  50. 23
  51. Sydney, 1997
  52. 24
  53. Sydney, 1967
  54. 25
  55. Sydney, 1997
  56. 26
  57. Sydney, 1967
  58. 27
  59. Sydney, 1967
  60. 28
  61. Sydney, 1997
  62. 29
  63. Sydney, 1967
  64. 30
  65. Sydney, 1967
  66. 31
  67. New South Wales, 1997
  68. 32
  69. Sydney, 1967
  70. 33
  71. Sydney, 1967
  72. 34
  73. Sydney, 1997
  74. 35
  75. Sydney, 1967
  76. 36
  77. Sydney, 1967
  78. 37
  79. Sydney, 1997
  80. 38
  81. Sydney, 1967
  82. 39
  83. Leeds, 1967
  84. 40
  85. Sydney, 1967
  86. 41
  87. Sydney, 1997
  88. 42
  89. Sydney, 1967
  90. 43
  91. Victoria, 1967
  92. 44
  93. Sydney, 1997
  94. 45
  95. Victoria, 1967
  96. 46
  97. Sydney, 1967
  98. 47
  99. Sydney 1997
  100. 48
  101. Sydney, 1997
  102. 49
  103. Sydney, 1997
  104. 50
  105. Sydney, 1997
  106. 51
  107. Victoria, 1967
  108. 52
  109. New South Wales, 1997
  110. 53
  111. Leeds, 1967
  112. 54
  113. Sydney, 1997
  114. Author’s Note
  115. Notes
  116. A note about language
  117. Acknowledgements
  118. Questions for Reading Groups
  119. Erin Kelly interviews Susan Allott
  120. About the Author
  121. About the Publisher

LANCASHIRE TIMES

‘A compelling and powerful read. Susan Allott is a writer to watch’

HOOKED FROM PAGE ONE

‘An unsettling portrayal of unhappy marriage, alcohol abuse and a dark chapter of history, with a plot that grips like an anaconda’

SAGA MAGAZINE

Dedication

For David

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for The Silence

Dedication

Chapter 1: London, 1997

Chapter 2: Sydney, 1966

Chapter 3: Ivanhoe, New South Wales, 1966

Chapter 4: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 5: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 6: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 7: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 8: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 9: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 10: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 11: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 12: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 13: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 14: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 15: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 16: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 17: Leeds, 1967

Chapter 18: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 19: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 20: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 21: Ivanhoe, 1967

Chapter 22: Leeds, 1967

Chapter 23: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 24: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 25: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 26: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 27: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 28: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 29: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 30: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 31: New South Wales, 1997

Chapter 32: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 33: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 34: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 35: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 36: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 37: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 38: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 39: Leeds, 1967

Chapter 40: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 41: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 42: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 43: Victoria, 1967

Chapter 44: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 45: Victoria, 1967

Chapter 46: Sydney, 1967

Chapter 47: Sydney 1997

Chapter 48: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 49: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 50: Sydney, 1997

Chapter 51: Victoria, 1967

Chapter 52: New South Wales, 1997

Chapter 53: Leeds, 1967

Chapter 54: Sydney, 1997

Author’s Note

Notes

A note about language

Acknowledgements

Questions for Reading Groups

Erin Kelly interviews Susan Allott

About the Author

About the Publisher

1

London, 1997

In a basement flat in Hackney, the telephone rings. It’s two in the morning. Isla Green stands in the hallway, pyjamaed, barely awake. She is entirely sober. A good thing, if a little fragile; a little surprising. No tide of shame waits for her, no bloom of pain. She feels clean in her skin, like a schoolgirl. She can taste toothpaste in her throat.

On the third ring she reaches for the receiver. It’s Dom’s voice she will hear if the answerphone picks up, and his voice will set her back. It’s three months since he left and every day she means to wipe the message. She lifts it to her ear just in time.

‘Hello?’

It takes her a second to place him. ‘Dad?’

‘I didn’t wake you, did I?’

She doesn’t know why she’s gripping the receiver. Why a trill of fear has sounded in her head. It’s good to hear her dad’s voice, which is more Australian than her own these days. He’s got the time difference wrong, that’s all. At the end of the street a police siren starts its upward loop and cuts out. Its blue light flashes silently.

‘What time is it there?’