"Silent" is a gripping novel that details the dire consequences faced by a small-town Ontario woman in the 1950's and 1960's whose need to conform to the religious/social expectations of her community lead to a marriage of exploitation and abuse. Throughout the book, the protagonist strives to survive this terror and her feelings of solitude and shame. She attempts to hide the hideous truth of her life from others. Finally, she feels forced to make a life-shattering decision, a decision for which she pays with the rest of her life.