The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

 

From Goodreads

On 24th November Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrived in Alaska.

Within hours they were driving alone across a frozen wilderness

Where nothing grows

Where no one lives

Where tears freeze

And night will last for another 54 days.

They are looking for Ruby's father.

Travelling deeper into a silent land.

They still cannot find him.

And someone is watching them in the dark.

My thoughts 

My thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review. I gave this an 8/10 or 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this story as much for the premise of it, as for where it was set in the Alaskan wilderness. Having watched Ice Road Truckers in the past I felt I knew exactly where in Alaska that Yasmin and Ruby were travelling.

As Yasmin and Ruby arrive in Alaska, they are there with one aim in mind to find Matt, husband to Yasmin and father to Ruby. Matt is a wildlife photographer, who had travelled to Alaska to film animals native to the Alaskan wilderness. Matt is presumed dead following a disaster in a remote Alaskan village. Yasmin and Ruby are both convinced that he is still alive depite all they have been told by the Authorities.

As Yasmin and Ruby embark on a journey to try to discover the truth about what has happened and to try to find out whether Matt is actually still alive or dead, they are left not knowing who they can trust and who they can't.

As the snow bound Alaskan wilderness envelops them, they are being followed but who is doing the following and why?

This is a well written atmospheric story set in the Alaskan wilderness. As the temperature outside drops the tension in the story mounts. Whilst I did find part of the story unbelievable, but I don't want to say which bit as it will spoil some of the story for others, I did enjoy it on the whole. With the mention of fracking for gas, which is quite a contentious subject at the moment due to the unknown regarding the environmental damage that can be caused by this phenomenom. I think this is quite a thought provoking read in some ways and shows what lengths people will go to for money.

Would I have undertaken the journey that Yasmin and Ruby did, I'm sure that I wouldn't but I can't help but feel that they made the right choices to follow their gut instincts.

To find out if Matt is dead or alive, grab a copy and immerse yourself in Alaska and all it has to offer, snow, snow and more snow.