Publishers Weekly
04/06/2020
Greaves’s confident, bittersweet debut explores an unhappy married couple’s enduring love. After Maggie, Frank’s wife of 40 years, is induced into a coma following an apparent suicide attempt, Frank spends hours at her hospital bedside. Despite Frank’s shame and reluctance, a persistent nurse encourages Frank to talk to his inert wife. What the nurse doesn’t know, however, is that Frank and Maggie haven’t spoken to one another in six months. The reasons for their silence unfold in dual narratives of their courtship, marriage, and heartbreaking journey through parenthood, related first in Frank’s bedside confession and later in Maggie’s letters that he finds. After years of childlessness early in their marriage, Frank and Maggie were overjoyed at the birth of their daughter, Eleanor, now a college dropout. The bliss faded as Eleanor suffered from depression and drug addiction as a teenager. While Greaves’s choice to tell the story through both Frank’s and Maggie’s voices yields occasional moments of redundancy, she finds a poignant distance between their perspectives. Greaves creates an affecting sense of irony: Maggie and Frank adore one another, but retreat into silence instead of finding strength by sharing their heartache and facing their struggles together. While this affecting tale covers well-trod ground, it still packs an emotional punch. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Not so much a case of ‘he said/she said’ as ‘he didn’t say/she didn’t say,’ this moving debut unpicks the secret selves of Maggie and Frank to reveal the tragic miscommunications of their broken family. It’s a pleasure to read such a stylish and confident new voice—readers are going to love discovering Abbie Greaves.” — Louise Candlish, internationally bestselling author of Our House and Those People
"The Silent Treatment is a gorgeous heart-breaker of a novel—an intimate, unpretentious, precisely drawn and surprisingly suspenseful look at a decades-long marriage: how it soars and plummets and, gem-like, alters its appearance under different lights. Abbie Greaves has a bright future and I can’t wait to see what it brings." — Meg Mitchell Moore, author of Two Truths and a Lie and The Islanders
"Abbie Greaves held me spellbound with this intimate, emotional story of the brutal power of silence and ostracism. Yet this deep dive into a troubled marriage is ultimately uplifting as Frank and Maggie make their way through the challenges of isolation, mental health, ageing, and the yearning for connection. Keep the tissues handy for this lovely read." — Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Oysterville Sewing Circle
"Greaves finds extraordinary in the ordinary, carefully pulling apart this seemingly happy marriage to reveal the guilt and desperation that lie beneath. Frank and Maggie’s struggle to define themselves when life doesn’t meet their expectations is full of intensity and emotion, their love for one another the only constant. With the sincerity and hope of Tayari Jones' An American Marriage (2018) and the thoughtful, circumspect snapshots of marriage in Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies (2015), Greaves' debut depicts the many joys and sorrows that make up a marriage." — Booklist
"Greaves writes their distinct voices expressively and assuredly, making both characters come alive . . . . A sometimes-hopeful, often heartbreaking look at the difficult and beautiful moments of parenting and marriage.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A remarkably assured debut which doesn’t go where you expect it to go. I very much look forward to seeing what she writes next.” — Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author
“The premise alone had me, but The Silent Treatment itself is just heartrendingly lovely. It’s beautiful, so moving and clever. I truly adored it.” — Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December
“An original and moving debut from a talented new voice.” — Santa Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Secret Hours
“In her tremendously moving debut, a novel that pulses with emotional tension, Abbie Greaves masterfully unpicks a history of ordinary lives facing extraordinary challenges. I found it impossible to look away from the relationship at the heart of this novel.” — Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew
"In an urgent race against the clock, the layers of Frank and Maggie's decades-long love story are peeled back to reveal the heartrending secrets that lurk below. But will the truth save Maggie's life, let alone their marriage? Greaves' gripping and poignant debut had me hooked from beginning to end." — Meg Donohue, USA Today Bestselling author of All the Summer Girls and You, Me and the Sea
“In her debut novel, Abbie Greaves breathes life into a tale of love, sorrow, guilt, and secrets. This beautifully written story of marriage through the years is both uplifting and heartbreaking, sometimes at the very same time.” — The Nerd Daily
“Greaves’s confident, bittersweet debut . . . packs an emotional punch.” — Publishers Weekly
“Cleverly structured and beautifully written, this novel celebrates love, hope—and the importance of finding the right words." — Lucy Diamond, internationally bestselling author of On a Beautiful Day
"Such stunning prose, and such insight for a debut author . . . I was bowled over by Abbie’s writing." — Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author
“Beautifully written in Greaves’ unique voice, we slowly begin to learn what bought them to this point and how the complexities of life play out in a marriage—and indeed family. Poignant, heart-breaking and insightful, it’s a masterful debut.” — Woman & Home (UK)
“This heartrending story explores the complexities of their relationship, from the early days of their courtship, when Frank was a shy Oxford academic and Maggie was an effervescent young nurse, to the shattering turn of events that rocked their lives. . . . Greaves’s insightful account of a long marriage kept us gripped till the very last page.” — The Independent (UK)
Meg Donohue
"In an urgent race against the clock, the layers of Frank and Maggie's decades-long love story are peeled back to reveal the heartrending secrets that lurk below. But will the truth save Maggie's life, let alone their marriage? Greaves' gripping and poignant debut had me hooked from beginning to end."
Louise Candlish
Not so much a case of ‘he said/she said’ as ‘he didn’t say/she didn’t say,’ this moving debut unpicks the secret selves of Maggie and Frank to reveal the tragic miscommunications of their broken family. It’s a pleasure to read such a stylish and confident new voice—readers are going to love discovering Abbie Greaves.
Booklist
"Greaves finds extraordinary in the ordinary, carefully pulling apart this seemingly happy marriage to reveal the guilt and desperation that lie beneath. Frank and Maggie’s struggle to define themselves when life doesn’t meet their expectations is full of intensity and emotion, their love for one another the only constant. With the sincerity and hope of Tayari Jones' An American Marriage (2018) and the thoughtful, circumspect snapshots of marriage in Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies (2015), Greaves' debut depicts the many joys and sorrows that make up a marriage."
Josie Silver
The premise alone had me, but The Silent Treatment itself is just heartrendingly lovely. It’s beautiful, so moving and clever. I truly adored it.
Gilly Macmillan
In her tremendously moving debut, a novel that pulses with emotional tension, Abbie Greaves masterfully unpicks a history of ordinary lives facing extraordinary challenges. I found it impossible to look away from the relationship at the heart of this novel.
Susan Wiggs
"Abbie Greaves held me spellbound with this intimate, emotional story of the brutal power of silence and ostracism. Yet this deep dive into a troubled marriage is ultimately uplifting as Frank and Maggie make their way through the challenges of isolation, mental health, ageing, and the yearning for connection. Keep the tissues handy for this lovely read."
Meg Mitchell Moore
"The Silent Treatment is a gorgeous heart-breaker of a novel—an intimate, unpretentious, precisely drawn and surprisingly suspenseful look at a decades-long marriage: how it soars and plummets and, gem-like, alters its appearance under different lights. Abbie Greaves has a bright future and I can’t wait to see what it brings."
Jojo Moyes
A remarkably assured debut which doesn’t go where you expect it to go. I very much look forward to seeing what she writes next.
Santa Montefiore
An original and moving debut from a talented new voice.”
The Nerd Daily
In her debut novel, Abbie Greaves breathes life into a tale of love, sorrow, guilt, and secrets. This beautifully written story of marriage through the years is both uplifting and heartbreaking, sometimes at the very same time.
Lucy Diamond
Cleverly structured and beautifully written, this novel celebrates love, hope—and the importance of finding the right words."
Clare Mackintosh
"Such stunning prose, and such insight for a debut author . . . I was bowled over by Abbie’s writing."
Woman & Home (UK)
Beautifully written in Greaves’ unique voice, we slowly begin to learn what bought them to this point and how the complexities of life play out in a marriage—and indeed family. Poignant, heart-breaking and insightful, it’s a masterful debut.
The Independent (UK)
This heartrending story explores the complexities of their relationship, from the early days of their courtship, when Frank was a shy Oxford academic and Maggie was an effervescent young nurse, to the shattering turn of events that rocked their lives. . . . Greaves’s insightful account of a long marriage kept us gripped till the very last page.
Booklist
"Greaves finds extraordinary in the ordinary, carefully pulling apart this seemingly happy marriage to reveal the guilt and desperation that lie beneath. Frank and Maggie’s struggle to define themselves when life doesn’t meet their expectations is full of intensity and emotion, their love for one another the only constant. With the sincerity and hope of Tayari Jones' An American Marriage (2018) and the thoughtful, circumspect snapshots of marriage in Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies (2015), Greaves' debut depicts the many joys and sorrows that make up a marriage."
null Woman & Home (UK)
Beautifully written in Greaves’ unique voice, we slowly begin to learn what bought them to this point and how the complexities of life play out in a marriage—and indeed family. Poignant, heart-breaking and insightful, it’s a masterful debut.
Gilly Macmillan
In her tremendously moving debut, a novel that pulses with emotional tension, Abbie Greaves masterfully unpicks a history of ordinary lives facing extraordinary challenges. I found it impossible to look away from the relationship at the heart of this novel.
Santa Montefiore
An original and moving debut from a talented new voice.”
Josie Silver
The premise alone had me, but The Silent Treatment itself is just heartrendingly lovely. It’s beautiful, so moving and clever. I truly adored it.
Susan Wiggs
"Abbie Greaves held me spellbound with this intimate, emotional story of the brutal power of silence and ostracism. Yet this deep dive into a troubled marriage is ultimately uplifting as Frank and Maggie make their way through the challenges of isolation, mental health, ageing, and the yearning for connection. Keep the tissues handy for this lovely read."
Meg Mitchell Moore
"The Silent Treatment is a gorgeous heart-breaker of a novel—an intimate, unpretentious, precisely drawn and surprisingly suspenseful look at a decades-long marriage: how it soars and plummets and, gem-like, alters its appearance under different lights. Abbie Greaves has a bright future and I can’t wait to see what it brings."
Louise Candlish
Not so much a case of ‘he said/she said’ as ‘he didn’t say/she didn’t say,’ this moving debut unpicks the secret selves of Maggie and Frank to reveal the tragic miscommunications of their broken family. It’s a pleasure to read such a stylish and confident new voice—readers are going to love discovering Abbie Greaves.
Jojo Moyes
A remarkably assured debut which doesn’t go where you expect it to go. I very much look forward to seeing what she writes next.
Kirkus Reviews
2020-01-26
In this debut novel, a man looks back at his relationship with his wife and tries to figure out where it went wrong in hopes that there’s still time to make things right.
When Frank’s wife, Maggie, collapses in their home, she ends up in a medically induced coma with an unclear prognosis. The nurse on duty tells Frank to talk to her—it’s good for patients to hear their loved ones’ voices. The only problem? Frank hasn’t spoken to Maggie in six months. Although Maggie has pleaded with him to speak to her, Frank has been unable to say a single word. And now, as his time might be running out, Frank attempts to tell Maggie what happened—starting with recounting the story of their entire 40-year relationship. Frank recalls the good times (their charming meet-cute at a bar, their early dates, their travels) as well as the hard times (years of loss and infertility). And then the arrival of their daughter, Eleanor, which changed everything. The story is as much about Frank's and Maggie’s difficult individual relationships with Eleanor as she grows up and begins to pull away from them as it is about their relationship with each other. Although the story is largely told from Frank’s point of view as he talks directly to Maggie, the reader also sees Maggie’s journal entries, meant for Frank to read. Greaves writes their distinct voices expressively and assuredly, making both characters come alive. Their struggle to help their daughter as she flounders is both realistic and moving, and it’s almost impossible not to like Frank and Maggie as they do everything they can to save her.
A sometimes-hopeful, often heartbreaking look at the difficult and beautiful moments of parenting and marriage.
