In a special video recorded for South African readers, author Josie Ferguson chats about the inspiration for her novel The Silence In Between, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize.

Based on true stories, The Silence In Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

‘The book has been inspired by several true stories, including that of a woman who was separated from her child when the border between East and West Berlin closed,’ Ferguson says.

About the book

Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child …

Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he’ll be fine.

When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city – and the world – in two.

Lisette is trapped in the east, while her newborn baby is unreachable in the west. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate.

Lisette’s teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother – once a talented pianist – the music has gone silent.

Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home….

Watch the video:

Categories Fiction International

Tags Josie Ferguson New books New releases Penguin Random House SA The Silence In Between Videos