The Silent Hours

The Silent Hours

CESCA MAJOR

Historical fiction published by Corvus 11 June 2015

in trade paperback (£12.99) and eBook

A story of love and loss, published to commemorate heart rending true events in the Unoccupied Zone of wartime France on June 10^th, 1944. 

  Set in OrSet in Oradour-sur-Set in OrSet in Oradour-sur-Glane, The Silent Hours gives a voice to the 642 men, women and children who were massacred without explanation by Nazi soldiers in Unoccupied territory on the 10th June, 1944. The Silent Hours follows three people whose lives are bound together, before war tears them apart:

Adeline, a mute who takes refuge in a convent, haunted by memories of her past;

Sebastian, a young Jewish banker whose love for the beautiful Isabelle will change the course of his life dramatically;

Tristin, a nine-year-old boy, whose family moves from Paris to settle in a village that is seemingly untouched by war.

Beautifully wrought, utterly compelling and with a shocking true story at its core, The Silent Hours is an unforgettable portrayal of love and loss.

Beautifully wrought, utterly compelling and with a shocking true story at its core, The Silent Hours is an unforgettable portrayal of love and loss.

‘A gripping, fictional account of a real event in war-time France, told with a sensuous clarity. A haunting and illuminating debut novel’

Wendy Wallace, author of The Painted Bridge

‘A gripping mystery, with an epic sweep, The Silent Hours is a wonderfully assured debut’

Rowan Coleman, author of The Memory Book

CESCA MAJOR read history at Bristol University. She went on to work in television as a researcher and presenter for four years before becoming a history teacher. Her first real writing success came in 2005 when she was runner up in the Daily Mail Writing Competition for the best opening paragraph to a novel. She has won, or been placed, in some short story competitions since then including the annual competitions for: Women and Home, Wells Festival of Literature, Grace Dieu and has also had a short story published in the Sentinel Literary Magazine. She reads widely and has written regular reviews and features for the popular women's fiction website www.novelicious.com. She currently works as a housemistress at a secondary boarding school in Berkshire. She lives in Bradfield with her husband and their brood of ex-battery chickens.

My Review

I am a huge fan of books set against a historical background and Cesca Major’s debut novel is no exception.

Telling several different stories, it seemed a little disjointed at first but before long, I found myself eagerly awaiting the next installment from each character as I wondered how their lives were intertwined.  The connection soon became  clear yet I read to the end with bated breath wondering what impact the Second World War would have on the inhabitants of  the little French village of Oradour-sur-Glane.

It is a fictional account yet based on a true event and is told with poignancy and insight. Incredibly moving and even more so when you read the story behind the story. This book will reach out to you long after you finish the last page!

4.5/5