I am pleased to be a part of the WOW! Women of Writing Blog Tour for Linda Rosen’s novel The Disharmony of Silence.

Please note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

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The Disharmony of Silence

Book Info

Book Summary

In 1915, jealous, bitter Rebecca Roth cuts all ties with her life-long friends, the Pearls. Eight years later, Rebecca’s son and young Lena Pearl begin keeping company in secret. Rebecca agrees to a truce when the couple marries. But the truce is fragile. Rebecca’s resentments run deep.

In 2010, Carolyn Lee, fitness instructor and amateur photographer, must come to grips with the fact that her mother’s imminent death will leave her alone in the world. While preparing her childhood home for sale, she realizes for the first time that her mother’s antique brooch is identical to the one pinned to the lady’s dress in the painting hanging above the fireplace. Coincidence or connection? Carolyn is determined to find out. What she discovers has the potential to tear lives apart or to bring her the closeness and comfort she longs for. It all depends on how she handles her newfound knowledge.

My Thoughts

I wanted to read this book the moment I read the blurb (cool concept, I thought!) and saw that it uses alternating timelines. I truly love books that go back and forth between times, and alternate between characters and times (and places too).

In this book, we follow the stories of two women, Lena and Carolyn, separated by eighty plus years and connected by the ties of family.

What I enjoyed:

• The book’s shifts between past and present; the time shifts and the obvious contrasts that occur make for interesting reading. Linda conveys the different times vividly and beautifully. I found myself time-traveling with ease between the 1920s and today.
• Realistic depiction of characters, situations and families. Carolyn’s struggles as she takes care of her mom and her efforts to pack up her mom’s things; Lena’s attempts at negotiating peace between her parents and in-laws; Kate’s struggles with grief after her daughter passes away.
• And I enjoyed the depictions of most of the characters. One of my favorite characters in the book was Ida Pearl, Carolyn’s great grandmother who we meet in the chapters set in the past. Her love for her daughter and her outlook made me feel she would have been right at place in today’s world, and I know I would love to have her as a friend.
• Learning about many different Jewish customs. For example, the seder and the yichud.
• Questions that came out of reading this book. What would I do if faced with situations like the protagonist? What is family actually? And more. Linda mentions when she wrote this book, she kept book clubs in mind and includes a list of discussion questions for book clubs towards the end.
• Last, but not the least, I loved the title. It so cleverly captures the essence of the book.

What made me feel otherwise:

It took me longer than I thought it would to finish the book as it dragged a bit in some places. I was hoping for some events to happen sooner than they actually did in the book. At times, one of the timelines was more interesting than the other or felt out of place with the other. And at a couple of instances, I wondered at the relevance of a character or a scene that made its appearance.

In Summary

Would recommend for those who enjoy women’s fiction or historical fiction.

Thank you once again to WOW! and the publishers for this opportunity to read the book and inviting me to the blog tour.

More Book Info

Praise for The Disharmony of Silence

“Linda Rosen spins an intriguing tale of long-held family secrets, an emotional search for identity, and a painting that may just be the key to untangling the complicated past. The bittersweet mystery kept me reading rapidly until the last page!” —Kristin Harmel, bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife

Rosen paints a vivid picture of a family torn apart then shows us what true family means. – Pamela Taylor, author of the Second Son Chronicles

A wonderful novelist . . . Ms. Rosen’s writing is both tender and inspiring. The Disharmony of Silence unfolds with emotional and wise insights. – Bunny Shulman, author of After Aida

“A family torn apart by jealousy and reunited by love is devastated again when tragedy strikes. A poignant and moving debut novel about the fragility of life, the power of love, and the cost of keeping a secret.” Gina Sorell author of Mothers and Other Strangers

The Disharmony of Silence is now available to purchase Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. 

About the Author, Linda Rosen

Linda Rosen, fitness professional turned writer, lives with her husband splitting their time between New Jersey and Florida. She was a contributor to Women in the Literary Landscape: A WNBA Centennial Publication for the Women’s National Book Association and has had stories published in Foliate Oak and Crack the Spine, both in their online magazine and print anthology. Follow her at www.linda-rosen.com. 

Blog Tour Dates

• March 2nd @ The Muffin What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Celebrate the launch of Linda’s blog tour The Disharmony of Silence. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book too!
• March 4th @ A Writer’s Life – How much does setting matter in a novel? Author Linda Rosen talks about this very subject over at Caroline’s blog today. You can also enter to win a copy of her book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 6th @ 12 Books – Make sure you visit Louise’s blog and read her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence. You can also enter to win a copy of the book as well!
• March 7th @ Lori Duff Writes – Be sure to stop by Lori’s blog and you can read her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 8th @ Bring on Lemons – Visit Crystal’s blog and you can read a review written by her daughter Carmen about Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence. Don’t miss it!
• March 10th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog – Make sure you visit Anthony’s blog where you can read his interview with author Linda Rosen.
• March 11th @ A Storybook World – Blogger Deirdra Eden spotlights Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 13th @ Lori’s Reading Corner – Stop by Lori’s blog and you can read a fitness inspiring post by author Linda Rosen! She shares some tips about strength training while reading audiobooks. You can also enter to win a copy of Linda’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 14th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion – Stop by Linda’s blog and you can read her interview with author Linda Rosen. Don’t miss it!
• March 15th @ Choices – Make sure you stop by Madeline Sharples’ blog and read Linda Rosen’s blog post about inspiring your creative self by getting outdoors. Don’t miss it!
• March 16th @ Reviews and Interviews – Visit Lisa’s blog where she interviews author Linda Rosen about her book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 17th @ Coffee with Lacey – Grab some coffee and join Lacey over at her blog . She reviews Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 18th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog – Visit Anthony’s blog again and read his review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence. Don’t miss it!
• March 19th @ AJ Sefton’s Blog – Make sure you visit author AJ Sefton’s blog and read a review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 20th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog – Looking for a new book to add to your reading list? Make sure you visit Bev’s blog and read her review of “The Disharmony of Silence.” You’ll want to add it to your list!
• March 21st @ Bookworm Blog – Visit Anjanette’s blog and you can read her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 22nd @ 12 Books – Are you part of a book club? Author Linda Rosen shares fun activities you can do for your book club. Don’t miss this fun, inspiring post!
• March 23rd @ Cassandra’s Writing World – Make sure you visit Cassandra’s blog and read her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 25th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog – What do you do if you are writing about a made-up setting? Make sure you visit Bev’s blog and you can read Linda Rosen’s guest post where she shares her advice.
• March 26th @ Lady in Read Writes – Stop by Vidya’s blog today and you can read her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• March 27th @ Jessica Belmont’s Blog – Over at Jessica’s blog, you won’t want to miss her review of Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence. You can also enter to win a copy of the book as well!
• March 28th @ Bookworm Blog – Stop by Anjanette’s blog again to read her interview with author Linda Rosen.
• March 30th @ It’s Alanna Jean – What does your writing space look like? Author Linda Rosen shares her tips for setting up your writing space over at Alanna Jean’s blog. 
• April 3rd @ Joyful Antidotes – Make sure you stop by Joy’s blog where she reviews Linda Rosen’s book The Disharmony of Silence.
• April 5th @ Teatime and Books – How much do you love revising? Does it spark joy? Linda Rosen shares her thoughts on the joy of revising over at the blog Tea Time and Books.