Hush

A haunting and often shocking debut, Hush is the story of what happens when we find we cannot speak, even to those we love most Lily Emmett prefers to stay silent. Having suffered from selective mutism since childhood, she still struggles to see the value of everyday speech. Her partner, Richard, has learned to translate her movements to speak for her and they share a unique form of communication. But when Lily and her sister Connie return to their childhood home, the visit inspires memories of the event that first rendered Lily silent, and still haunts them both. The resulting search for the truth about what happened takes them back to a childhood shaped by bullying and familial breakdown, and unearths the secrets that lie at the heart of the sisters' relationship. Haunting, mysterious, and often shocking, Sara Marshall-Ball's debut novel is about how individuals cope with trauma and come to terms with the past.