The paperback edition of Abbie Greaves’ emotionally transfixing debut, The Silent Treatment has been published today (Penguin Random House).
If you are seeking a new read that’s both moving and thought-provoking, we suggest picking up the novel that left bestselling author Harriet Tyce “moved to tears”. The Silent Treatment unpacks the intricacies of a marriage which has deteriorated into a cold, enduring silence.
A lifetime of love. Six months of silence. One last chance.
Frank hasn’t spoken to his wife Maggie for six months.
For weeks they have lived under the same roof, slept in the same bed and eaten at the same table – all without words.
Maggie has plenty of ideas as to why her husband has gone quiet, but it will take another heartbreaking turn of events before Frank finally starts to unravel the secrets that have silenced him.
Is this where their story ends?
Or is it where it begins?
Following the title’s hardback release in April, Abbie was met with endless acclaim from critics, the press and fellow authors, with the book charting in the top 10 for several weeks. It was featured in the The Guardian‘s round-up of ‘Top 10 books about silence‘, in Cosmopolitan‘s ‘14 of the best new good books to read‘ list, as well in Stylist, for their ‘Best new books for 2020‘ feature. The book was also a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. In the US, it was reviewed in the New York Journal of Books, who deemed the story “thought-provoking and truly heartbreaking“. It is also an international success, having been published in thirteen different territories, to date.
Reviews have been full of praise for Abbie’s standout writing and emotional depth:
“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, No. 1 bestselling author of Me Before You
“Such stunning prose, and such insight for a debut author… I was bowled over by Abbie’s writing.” Claire Mackintosh, author
“The Silent Treatment is a beautifully written, captivating, and heartbreaking story about love, loss and second chances. It’s a much-needed reminder that we will all witness terrible things in our lives, especially when it comes to the ones we love most.” Culturess
“I am really impressed by this beautifully written and envisaged debut novel. This new author oozes with talent and her storyline is so well planned it kept me on the edge of me chair and hooked me from the very first few pages. The entire story filled me with compassion.” Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
“This was an absolutely stunning debut. I knew as soon as I read the blurb that it was just the sort of book I would love. A compelling and tender story that had me captivated from start to finish, this will be definitely be one of my books of the year!” Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
Abbie Greaves studied at Cambridge University before working in a literary agency for a number of years. She was inspired to write her first novel, The Silent Treatment, after reading a newspaper article about a boy in Japan who had never seen his parents speak to one another before. Abbie lives in Edinburgh with her boyfriend and is hard at work on her follow-up novel, The Ends of the Earth.
Abbie is a phenomenal talent, and you definitely need a copy of this rich and layered debut, which is guaranteed to take you on a captivating emotional journey. American fans will be able to have the paperback soon enough – it will be released in the US on the 2nd March 2021 by HarperCollins / William Morrow.
