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Small Silent Things
One of Salon's Novels Coming in September You Won't Want to Miss
One of Medium's Most Exciting New Book Releases A lyrical, haunting debut that explores the power of parenthood, identity, lust, and the legacy of trauma, as the lives of two neighbors are upended by ghosts from their past lives.
When the news of her mother’s death reaches Jocelyn Morrow, it stirs up memories of her traumatic childhood. She is a mother herself now, to six-year-old Lucy; living a life of privilege in Southern California with her husband Conrad; moving in a world of wealthy white women, even though she is not white; as far away from her past as she can get. Her designer clothes cover a net of scars across her back, and she hides an even deeper mark—a fundamental stain, something she believes invited her abuse. She also has a blossoming secret: she is becoming obsessed with Kate, her tennis coach.
Her neighbor Simon Bonaventure is a successful landscape architect and a Rwandan refugee. He too is haunted, by the wife and daughter who were taken from him in the genocide twenty years ago. The ghosts of those he could not save, and those who took them, are never far, and now he has received a letter—allegedly from his daughter, grown, and full of questions for a father she doesn’t know.
As Jocelyn and Simon begin a tentative friendship, they forge a bond out of their dark secret histories—a bond that may be their only hope of being pulled back from the abyss.
One of Medium's Most Exciting New Book Releases A lyrical, haunting debut that explores the power of parenthood, identity, lust, and the legacy of trauma, as the lives of two neighbors are upended by ghosts from their past lives.
When the news of her mother’s death reaches Jocelyn Morrow, it stirs up memories of her traumatic childhood. She is a mother herself now, to six-year-old Lucy; living a life of privilege in Southern California with her husband Conrad; moving in a world of wealthy white women, even though she is not white; as far away from her past as she can get. Her designer clothes cover a net of scars across her back, and she hides an even deeper mark—a fundamental stain, something she believes invited her abuse. She also has a blossoming secret: she is becoming obsessed with Kate, her tennis coach.
Her neighbor Simon Bonaventure is a successful landscape architect and a Rwandan refugee. He too is haunted, by the wife and daughter who were taken from him in the genocide twenty years ago. The ghosts of those he could not save, and those who took them, are never far, and now he has received a letter—allegedly from his daughter, grown, and full of questions for a father she doesn’t know.
As Jocelyn and Simon begin a tentative friendship, they forge a bond out of their dark secret histories—a bond that may be their only hope of being pulled back from the abyss.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
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2129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 19, 2019
I should preface this review by saying that I like books about broken people. Not because there's something enjoyable about reading those stories, but because I take to heart that old adage that you never know what another person is going through, and I take it even further ... you never know what a person may have overcome. Through the best fiction, I don't just want to feel, I want to find greater understanding of people who interact with the world in ways that, from my own experience I might find confounding, exasperating, or even angering. 'Small Silent Things' delivered on that for me, in every respect.
From the opening page of this book, you know that Jocelyn, one of the main protagonists has both gone through and overcome a lot. She is living a privileged life in a luxurious condo by the ocean with her handsome husband and beautiful daughter, and learns that her mother has died. Though Jocelyn's reaction is a strong one, it is not what you might expect: she is pleased, and relieved. Her mother's death is something she has long wished for. But 'pleased' isn't quite right. Because the death of a parent, even one who was abusive and at times even sadistic can have an unraveling effect. And unravel, Jocelyn does.
Meanwhile, just down the hall there is Simon who has overcome horrors of his own as a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Like Joceyln, Simon's suffering is silent, but not small. Simon occasionally hallucinates, sometimes suffers from panic attacks and is clearly--though high-functioning and incredibly successful--also in the throes of significant PTSD. In Simon's case, this time in contrast to Jocelyn's, something that should be happy news threatens to exacerbate his unrest because for him, to hope is painful.
Through a variety of circumstances, Jocelyn and Simon forge a friendship, seeing in each other a kindred broken spirit. Jocelyn, who has ample reason to see men as hostile and ever-present threats, for some reason does not feel this way with Simon. Apart from her husband, with whom she shares a complicated but genuine love, Simon is the only man who feels safe, and soon they begin to confide in each other, and deepen their kinship.
Jocelyn, in the meantime, is engaging in a risky and self-destructive affair that threatens the fragile mental peace she has, and that, if discovered could topple the (at least outwardly) solid home life she has painstakingly built with her husband and child. Surrounded by women who don't look like her, aided by a therapist who doesn't understand her, and married to a husband concerned with containing evidence of her dysfunction, Jocelyn begins to come apart. Simon, too, is at risk of coming undone unless he and she can find solid parts in each other, anchors to hold on to, that they cannot find within themselves.
This author skillfully, in my view, gave us just enough glimpses of Jocelyn's and Simon's horrific histories to make us understand why they couldn't just "get past it" but not so much that we can begin to critique and dissect it, and apply our own judgment about whether their experiences should have damaged them quite as much as they did. We see Jocelyn hold on to something she thinks will save her, but which could be her destruction, and we see Simon reach out to connect with his emotions once again, and begin to dare to hope that it just might be safe to do so.
I LOVED this book. It is one of my top five of 2019 so far both in style (sparse, matter-of-fact, but emotionally vivid) and content (how the exteriors of people are sometimes the most deceptive indicator of all when trying to see who they are). But as a caveat: it is dark stuff at times, and if liking the choices characters make is important to you for enjoyment of a novel, this might be one to pass by. For me, it was near perfection precisely because I absolutely hated some of those choices, and yet fully understood them both intellectually and emotionally. I look forward to reading more of Robin Page's work. This debut is a gem.
From the opening page of this book, you know that Jocelyn, one of the main protagonists has both gone through and overcome a lot. She is living a privileged life in a luxurious condo by the ocean with her handsome husband and beautiful daughter, and learns that her mother has died. Though Jocelyn's reaction is a strong one, it is not what you might expect: she is pleased, and relieved. Her mother's death is something she has long wished for. But 'pleased' isn't quite right. Because the death of a parent, even one who was abusive and at times even sadistic can have an unraveling effect. And unravel, Jocelyn does.
Meanwhile, just down the hall there is Simon who has overcome horrors of his own as a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Like Joceyln, Simon's suffering is silent, but not small. Simon occasionally hallucinates, sometimes suffers from panic attacks and is clearly--though high-functioning and incredibly successful--also in the throes of significant PTSD. In Simon's case, this time in contrast to Jocelyn's, something that should be happy news threatens to exacerbate his unrest because for him, to hope is painful.
Through a variety of circumstances, Jocelyn and Simon forge a friendship, seeing in each other a kindred broken spirit. Jocelyn, who has ample reason to see men as hostile and ever-present threats, for some reason does not feel this way with Simon. Apart from her husband, with whom she shares a complicated but genuine love, Simon is the only man who feels safe, and soon they begin to confide in each other, and deepen their kinship.
Jocelyn, in the meantime, is engaging in a risky and self-destructive affair that threatens the fragile mental peace she has, and that, if discovered could topple the (at least outwardly) solid home life she has painstakingly built with her husband and child. Surrounded by women who don't look like her, aided by a therapist who doesn't understand her, and married to a husband concerned with containing evidence of her dysfunction, Jocelyn begins to come apart. Simon, too, is at risk of coming undone unless he and she can find solid parts in each other, anchors to hold on to, that they cannot find within themselves.
This author skillfully, in my view, gave us just enough glimpses of Jocelyn's and Simon's horrific histories to make us understand why they couldn't just "get past it" but not so much that we can begin to critique and dissect it, and apply our own judgment about whether their experiences should have damaged them quite as much as they did. We see Jocelyn hold on to something she thinks will save her, but which could be her destruction, and we see Simon reach out to connect with his emotions once again, and begin to dare to hope that it just might be safe to do so.
I LOVED this book. It is one of my top five of 2019 so far both in style (sparse, matter-of-fact, but emotionally vivid) and content (how the exteriors of people are sometimes the most deceptive indicator of all when trying to see who they are). But as a caveat: it is dark stuff at times, and if liking the choices characters make is important to you for enjoyment of a novel, this might be one to pass by. For me, it was near perfection precisely because I absolutely hated some of those choices, and yet fully understood them both intellectually and emotionally. I look forward to reading more of Robin Page's work. This debut is a gem.
February 16, 2020
Wow, this book packs emotional punch after punch. I think it should potentially come with trigger warnings ... physical, sexual and emotional abuse, suicide, genocide, torture, graphic sex ... but none of those truths should stop readers for exploring Page's beautiful writing and storytelling.
I was taken in from the opening pages:
This is Jocelyn, mother of young Lucy and the victim of horrid child abuse. What unfolds over the next 300 pages is the slow seeping of her story and her hold on stability.
Parallel to Jocelyn's story is Simon, a successful landscape architect and Rwandan refugee who may or may not have found his daughter who was stolen from him. Here too Page slowly unveils the horror of his history even as the friendship between these two broken souls begins to blossom.
Halfway through the book, she adds a third character whose trauma is one of discovery later in life.
All three stories are compelling and complex and heartbreaking. Page is wise to tell them in short alternating chapters, which brought relief without lessening the impact of the stories she's telling.
The only problem I really had were the very graphic sex scenes. I understand the underlying themes of worth and purity, and again, the writing is excellent, but I just couldn't figure out the need for that degree of detail ... maybe it's just me.
I love a book whose characters have deep, dark, rich and frightening histories. This book did not disappoint.
I was taken in from the opening pages:
Her mother's death does no capsize her. Instead, it creates a subtle seeping. She is like a rowboat with a tiny hole. She is able to get dressed most days, to make herself clean, but an opening, no matter how small, lets things in. ... The death is not the thing, but instead the narrow window.
This is Jocelyn, mother of young Lucy and the victim of horrid child abuse. What unfolds over the next 300 pages is the slow seeping of her story and her hold on stability.
Parallel to Jocelyn's story is Simon, a successful landscape architect and Rwandan refugee who may or may not have found his daughter who was stolen from him. Here too Page slowly unveils the horror of his history even as the friendship between these two broken souls begins to blossom.
Halfway through the book, she adds a third character whose trauma is one of discovery later in life.
All three stories are compelling and complex and heartbreaking. Page is wise to tell them in short alternating chapters, which brought relief without lessening the impact of the stories she's telling.
The only problem I really had were the very graphic sex scenes. I understand the underlying themes of worth and purity, and again, the writing is excellent, but I just couldn't figure out the need for that degree of detail ... maybe it's just me.
I love a book whose characters have deep, dark, rich and frightening histories. This book did not disappoint.
August 12, 2019
A story about two people haunted by horrific events in their past with themes of Trauma, Parenthood, Lust, Identity, and Race.
•
Jocelyn has just lost her mother and her death is bringing a flood of emotions that she has kept bottled up for a long time to the surface.
Simon her neighbour is a refugee who lost his wife and daughter to genocide several years ago.
Both characters are haunted and disturbed by their pasts, struggling to live in the present and look towards the future. They forge a friendship built on their shared dark pasts.
•
This was a good read! A little on the dark and disturbing side, but that made for a very affecting experience. Definitely one of the better books I've read on the legacy of trauma. These characters are realistic and well-rounded. Page's lyrical prose and storytelling abilities make this a profound debut.
Available Sept 3rd!
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this #ARC opinions are my own.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
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Jocelyn has just lost her mother and her death is bringing a flood of emotions that she has kept bottled up for a long time to the surface.
Simon her neighbour is a refugee who lost his wife and daughter to genocide several years ago.
Both characters are haunted and disturbed by their pasts, struggling to live in the present and look towards the future. They forge a friendship built on their shared dark pasts.
•
This was a good read! A little on the dark and disturbing side, but that made for a very affecting experience. Definitely one of the better books I've read on the legacy of trauma. These characters are realistic and well-rounded. Page's lyrical prose and storytelling abilities make this a profound debut.
Available Sept 3rd!
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this #ARC opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
September 10, 2019
I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down, yet it’s not your typical page turner. The characters are very real and reveal themselves to you in a way that never happens in real life. It is very easy to read despite its complex themes. Best book I have read this year.
November 8, 2020
This book is an interesting story of people struggling with family traumas. I enjoyed the in depth descriptions and character detail.
I feel like the affair existed in another book. Many plot lines were just left undone. The story built for too long then ended at what I wish had been the middle. I hate stories of mental health that end with a breakdown it’s so over done and unhelpful. We got to see a bit of Jocelyns healing but I wanted more. I loved Simon but hated that he lied to his daughter. She had experienced the effects of her parents resentment. The story line with Lucy’s teacher was left completely undone which was incredibly upsetting. I felt like Jocelyn trying to kill herself and Lucy was completely out of character as the entire time she talked of protecting her. I get that she thought they were both to far gone. But after that I found it difficult to root for Jocelyn at all. I don’t agree that mothers are a necessary component in children’s lives as both myself and Jocelyn would have been better without mothers. Jocelyn putting Lucy in danger really made me lose any respect for her and made me feel Lucy probably needs space from her. I also never understood why Jocelyn didn’t want to talk to the mom who brought up protecting their children. That scene where the moms dismissed her consents was very upsetting to me.
It’s hard as someone who was abused by a mother to invest in a character who chose to have a child when they are mentally unstable. There is just no excuse for it and Jocelyn never seems to take responsibility for choosing to neglect her health. It’s understandable that she would neglect it but she had plenty of time and resources to deal with things before Lucy was born and when she was younger. I wish we could have seen her become dedicated to therapy and do the difficult work rather then just watch her fall apart and be given a sweeping generalization of her recovery.
I feel like the affair existed in another book. Many plot lines were just left undone. The story built for too long then ended at what I wish had been the middle. I hate stories of mental health that end with a breakdown it’s so over done and unhelpful. We got to see a bit of Jocelyns healing but I wanted more. I loved Simon but hated that he lied to his daughter. She had experienced the effects of her parents resentment. The story line with Lucy’s teacher was left completely undone which was incredibly upsetting. I felt like Jocelyn trying to kill herself and Lucy was completely out of character as the entire time she talked of protecting her. I get that she thought they were both to far gone. But after that I found it difficult to root for Jocelyn at all. I don’t agree that mothers are a necessary component in children’s lives as both myself and Jocelyn would have been better without mothers. Jocelyn putting Lucy in danger really made me lose any respect for her and made me feel Lucy probably needs space from her. I also never understood why Jocelyn didn’t want to talk to the mom who brought up protecting their children. That scene where the moms dismissed her consents was very upsetting to me.
It’s hard as someone who was abused by a mother to invest in a character who chose to have a child when they are mentally unstable. There is just no excuse for it and Jocelyn never seems to take responsibility for choosing to neglect her health. It’s understandable that she would neglect it but she had plenty of time and resources to deal with things before Lucy was born and when she was younger. I wish we could have seen her become dedicated to therapy and do the difficult work rather then just watch her fall apart and be given a sweeping generalization of her recovery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2019
This book was such a great read. I loved how Jocelyn and Simon's story somehow come together in such an amazing way. Ok here is a small summary, there is more in between the lines, which can be a tad bit confusing but still makes the story super fun to read, anyway Jocelyn is the main character, she has it all, a child a husband, money, hanging around with the rich white women from the community, where this woman came from? This was a dream come true! But she has her own demons shes battling with and those are very bad demons.
Simon is her next door neighbor, he is also battling with his own issues, and his involve his own family who have gotten killed in Africa. His wife is gone but he has this feeling his daughter is still around he just doesnt know where. He is also very successful, and his dreams come true when he finds his daughter after all these years.
Claudette is Simon's daughter, who was raised and taken by one of Simins dear friends, her life was good but she always knew something was missing, even her own mother was very distant with her, but when she ends up pregnant from another man, while married to another, she starts to question being a mother.
Simon is the man at the center of all this. I honestly feel if Simon wasn't around all of these peoples lives would be shattered, the way he saved Jocelyn and her family, helps him with his own issues, and then slowly getting close to his daughter after years of being apart? This book is most definitely a gem.
Simon is her next door neighbor, he is also battling with his own issues, and his involve his own family who have gotten killed in Africa. His wife is gone but he has this feeling his daughter is still around he just doesnt know where. He is also very successful, and his dreams come true when he finds his daughter after all these years.
Claudette is Simon's daughter, who was raised and taken by one of Simins dear friends, her life was good but she always knew something was missing, even her own mother was very distant with her, but when she ends up pregnant from another man, while married to another, she starts to question being a mother.
Simon is the man at the center of all this. I honestly feel if Simon wasn't around all of these peoples lives would be shattered, the way he saved Jocelyn and her family, helps him with his own issues, and then slowly getting close to his daughter after years of being apart? This book is most definitely a gem.
June 4, 2020
This book is filled with really gorgeous, lyrical writing that you'll probably want to highlight. Robin Page has an ear for delivering the emotion behind a person's thoughts, feelings, reactions and decisions. At times though, it felt as if she was writing two books—one about an affair and one about past trauma and how that plays out in everyday life. I say that because, to me, the writing during the affair scenes read differently than the rest of the book—it was a lot more detailed while the rest of the book had a more sparse, minimalistic storytelling style. I would've liked to have seen more development between Simon and Jocelyn and even Conrad and Jocelyn's relationships as well. I think those bits would've led to more development between Jocelyn and Kate's relationship by default. Anyway, Page is definitely a talented writer — there are some really poignant observations about life, motherhood/fatherhood, trauma, love, and relationships scattered throughout this debut.
December 5, 2019
I liked this book but it just took me so long to get through it. Too me the story was a bit all over the place. The ending was pretty good.
September 30, 2019
Jocelyn and Simon are incredible characters and the pain and grief they share is written beautiful. I’ve never read a book that so clearly “gets” what trauma does to memories & how it impacts your past, present, and future.
September 3, 2019
Small Silent Things is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. The author deftly examines familial relationships, race, privilege and trauma with a voice that draws you deeply into the character's worlds. A stunning debut that leaves me wanting to read much more of Robin Page's work.
September 4, 2019
intense, a lot happening here. very compelling, couldn't put it down.. but almost wish it was split into multiple books b/c there are so many themes and concepts!
September 23, 2019
This was a back and forth telling of two people's lives as they are haunted by their traumatic pasts - an incredibly abusive and cruel mother and a genocide in Rwanda. The characters are so enchanting - they are broken and deeply earnest. They are vulnerable and intense and completely shattered. Yet they have a great, bright energy about them. Man, this book had sooooo many layers. It was romance and passion, traumatic history, innocent friendship, loads of mystery, and incredibly beautiful and artful writing. I loved everything about this book - it was really captivating and thought provoking. A great read.
March 24, 2020
This felt a little bit like a light read, though it dealt with tough subjects and baggage of the main characters. I really liked all the characters and found their flaws relatable and compelling. I liked this book!
July 17, 2025
so good. sat from beginning to end. must read if you have a complicated relationship with your mother.
September 25, 2019
Smart, sexy, page turner, one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The two main characters, each haunted by their own pasts, are neighbors who start a friendship. Jocelyn unravels after her abusive, estranged mother dies. Her fall lands her in a passionate extra-marital affair with her tennis pro.
The second character, Simon, a Tutsi survivor of the Rwandan genocide, receives a letter from a woman who claims to be his daughter who was lost years ago in the genocide. This letter opens up his old wounds.
Small Silent Things is a sexy affair book, but at the same time, it goes deep into the psychology of the characters. It’s surprisingly suspenseful for a literary novel. There are some dark moments in this book, but I really loved it.
The two main characters, each haunted by their own pasts, are neighbors who start a friendship. Jocelyn unravels after her abusive, estranged mother dies. Her fall lands her in a passionate extra-marital affair with her tennis pro.
The second character, Simon, a Tutsi survivor of the Rwandan genocide, receives a letter from a woman who claims to be his daughter who was lost years ago in the genocide. This letter opens up his old wounds.
Small Silent Things is a sexy affair book, but at the same time, it goes deep into the psychology of the characters. It’s surprisingly suspenseful for a literary novel. There are some dark moments in this book, but I really loved it.
February 23, 2020
man alive!
August 17, 2024
What was the purpose of...anything... in this book?
September 22, 2019
This beautifully written book has everything! Wonderful character development delivered with sexiness and suspense in a page-turning, can’t-put-it-down writing style that explores many deep themes and social issues. I was moved to tears several times and didn’t want it to end. Absolutely a must read!
September 2, 2019
Jocelyn and Simon are neighbors in a wealthy Southern California enclave but neither really feels that they belong and more importantly, both have experienced significant trauma. Simon, the more sympathetic of the two, is a refugee from Rwanda and lost his family in the genocide. Jocelyn was physically and emotionally abused by her mother. Two precipitating events bring these two together- her mother dies and he received a letter from someone purporting to be his daughter. Jocelyn is spinning out of control- she's engaging in a lot of extramarital sex, is obsessing about her tennis instructor, and is doing her best to alienate her husband Conrad. No spoilers but know that this raises questions and is at times uncomfortable to read. There's a lot going on - it's almost a potboiler. The writing reflects Page's MFA. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.
August 17, 2020
i felt “meh” about this book all the way through — until the last 20 pages when the transmisogyny appeared like a wild pokémon and punched me into “i hate this book and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.” i don’t feel good about finishing this book; i just feel angry.
December 7, 2020
I really enjoyed most of this book, and the writing was excellent.
And then the ending was just...extremely abrupt and almost incomplete. There were several storylines that the author just sort of abandoned toward the end of the book (the affair, Jocelyn’s mental health and the fallout thereof, Jocelyn’s suspicions of her daughter’s teacher), and other things that never got addressed at all (something about Conrad and the way he interacted with Jocelyn was extremely unsettling. It felt like he was emotionally abusive and “chose” her because of her past...and that was never once addressed; you never get any real details about Jocelyn’s childhood, her mother’s death, Simon’s life in Rwanda, or his relationship with his daughter. We know next-to-nothing about Conrad and even less about Simon’s daughter.) It almost felt like the author was rushing to be finished with it in the last 30 pages or so, or like there were pieces of the story she wasn’t quite sure how to wrap up, so she just...didn’t.
There were pieces that genuinely made no sense (for the entirety of the book, Jocelyn is fiercely and almost pathologically protective of her daughter. And then one day she decides to fasten her daughter to her chest and leap off a bridge???? The attempted suicide I understood, in that she’d had a horrific childhood, had a wildly unsupportive husband who seemed to be with her because of a fetish (a fact which is never addressed), and was having a mental breakdown. The attempted murder of her daughter though was insane, out of nowhere, and never addressed. They’re saved by some random woman that had appeared briefly earlier in the book, a coincidence that made absolutely no sense and was entirely unnecessary - I think the author just really enjoyed describing a transgender woman whose gender Jocelyn had trouble identifying. Conrad gives an extremely brief and half-hearted thought to trying to get custody, but Simon threatens him into submission by pointing out that he’s rich and so Conrad just stops being worried about his daughter’s mental and physical safety because a literal stranger said so?? Even though he too is extremely wealthy???
Speaking of Lucy’s mental and physical health and safety, those things are never addressed either. She cries when they’re saved and...that’s it. She continues to spend all day every day with her mom who tried to kill her while her dad (allegedly a perfect father) spends all of his time at work, giving no thought to his wife’s recent murder-suicide attempt.
There are some VERY explicit sex scenes in this book, to the point that, at times, it read like erotica. The final sex scene in particular was overwhelmingly detailed and had no bearing whatsoever on the rest of the plot. While I don’t have a problem with those sorts of details, I did find myself frustrated that the author dedicated so much detail to an affair (a storyline she never wrapped up or even bothered to delve into the consequences of), but didn’t give either lead character’s history and trauma nearly the same amount of detail or attention. I’ve read somewhere that the author wanted to write a story about an affair, and obviously there’s nothing wrong with that - but then this could (and in my opinion, should) have been two separate books, because the characters’ traumas deserved so much more time and attention than they were given. As well, if you’re going to write about an allegedly straight married woman having an affair with her female (also married) tennis coach, you should maybe address the implications of that, and the ramifications of them being caught. Neither Conrad nor the tennis coach’s wife ever have the slightest suspicions (despite Jocelyn literally renting an apartment for them to have sex in - apparently they’re so incredibly wealthy that the $500/month doesn’t even register for Conrad, nor does the $300/week she was previously spending on high end hotel rooms), but somehow a random woman they barely know sees them together for 30 seconds one morning and figures it out (nevermind that Kate once fingered Jocelyn in broad daylight on the tennis court - nobody saw that)?? She reports it to the country club (literally why? When she caught them, it wasn’t on the tennis court nor was Kate working at the time. What was the basis of her report? Lesbians are bad and should be punished???) and...that’s it. Absolutely nothing comes of it. Kate and Jocelyn never speak again, Jocelyn stops going to tennis, and it’s as though the affair never happened.
Allegedly Simon and Jocelyn have a very strong bond. He somehow senses that she plans to attempt suicide at the end of the book, and threatens Conrad out of seeking custody of Lucy in the aftermath because he cares so deeply for Jocelyn. But we never actually see this happen? The two of them only interact maybe four or five times, and in at least half of those interactions Lucy’s precocity is the sole focus. I kept thinking we’d get more detail on that friendship, or at least on each character’s past, but beyond some flashbacks for Jocelyn and a hallucination for Simon, we don’t get any detail or exploration.
This read like a first draft. An excellent first draft!! But one which needed much more detail and resolution.
And then the ending was just...extremely abrupt and almost incomplete. There were several storylines that the author just sort of abandoned toward the end of the book (the affair, Jocelyn’s mental health and the fallout thereof, Jocelyn’s suspicions of her daughter’s teacher), and other things that never got addressed at all (something about Conrad and the way he interacted with Jocelyn was extremely unsettling. It felt like he was emotionally abusive and “chose” her because of her past...and that was never once addressed; you never get any real details about Jocelyn’s childhood, her mother’s death, Simon’s life in Rwanda, or his relationship with his daughter. We know next-to-nothing about Conrad and even less about Simon’s daughter.) It almost felt like the author was rushing to be finished with it in the last 30 pages or so, or like there were pieces of the story she wasn’t quite sure how to wrap up, so she just...didn’t.
There were pieces that genuinely made no sense (for the entirety of the book, Jocelyn is fiercely and almost pathologically protective of her daughter. And then one day she decides to fasten her daughter to her chest and leap off a bridge???? The attempted suicide I understood, in that she’d had a horrific childhood, had a wildly unsupportive husband who seemed to be with her because of a fetish (a fact which is never addressed), and was having a mental breakdown. The attempted murder of her daughter though was insane, out of nowhere, and never addressed. They’re saved by some random woman that had appeared briefly earlier in the book, a coincidence that made absolutely no sense and was entirely unnecessary - I think the author just really enjoyed describing a transgender woman whose gender Jocelyn had trouble identifying. Conrad gives an extremely brief and half-hearted thought to trying to get custody, but Simon threatens him into submission by pointing out that he’s rich and so Conrad just stops being worried about his daughter’s mental and physical safety because a literal stranger said so?? Even though he too is extremely wealthy???
Speaking of Lucy’s mental and physical health and safety, those things are never addressed either. She cries when they’re saved and...that’s it. She continues to spend all day every day with her mom who tried to kill her while her dad (allegedly a perfect father) spends all of his time at work, giving no thought to his wife’s recent murder-suicide attempt.
There are some VERY explicit sex scenes in this book, to the point that, at times, it read like erotica. The final sex scene in particular was overwhelmingly detailed and had no bearing whatsoever on the rest of the plot. While I don’t have a problem with those sorts of details, I did find myself frustrated that the author dedicated so much detail to an affair (a storyline she never wrapped up or even bothered to delve into the consequences of), but didn’t give either lead character’s history and trauma nearly the same amount of detail or attention. I’ve read somewhere that the author wanted to write a story about an affair, and obviously there’s nothing wrong with that - but then this could (and in my opinion, should) have been two separate books, because the characters’ traumas deserved so much more time and attention than they were given. As well, if you’re going to write about an allegedly straight married woman having an affair with her female (also married) tennis coach, you should maybe address the implications of that, and the ramifications of them being caught. Neither Conrad nor the tennis coach’s wife ever have the slightest suspicions (despite Jocelyn literally renting an apartment for them to have sex in - apparently they’re so incredibly wealthy that the $500/month doesn’t even register for Conrad, nor does the $300/week she was previously spending on high end hotel rooms), but somehow a random woman they barely know sees them together for 30 seconds one morning and figures it out (nevermind that Kate once fingered Jocelyn in broad daylight on the tennis court - nobody saw that)?? She reports it to the country club (literally why? When she caught them, it wasn’t on the tennis court nor was Kate working at the time. What was the basis of her report? Lesbians are bad and should be punished???) and...that’s it. Absolutely nothing comes of it. Kate and Jocelyn never speak again, Jocelyn stops going to tennis, and it’s as though the affair never happened.
Allegedly Simon and Jocelyn have a very strong bond. He somehow senses that she plans to attempt suicide at the end of the book, and threatens Conrad out of seeking custody of Lucy in the aftermath because he cares so deeply for Jocelyn. But we never actually see this happen? The two of them only interact maybe four or five times, and in at least half of those interactions Lucy’s precocity is the sole focus. I kept thinking we’d get more detail on that friendship, or at least on each character’s past, but beyond some flashbacks for Jocelyn and a hallucination for Simon, we don’t get any detail or exploration.
This read like a first draft. An excellent first draft!! But one which needed much more detail and resolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2025
This is a powerful read, but not an easy one. If ever a trigger warning is needed for a book, this is it.
This novel doesn't explicitly get into the sexual, physical and emotional abuse the little girl endured, but it's hinted at, only once did I have to skip a paragraph. I can't say how detailed it was, since I skipped it, but it was only the one time. Otherwise, details are kept murky.
The story is told through three narrators, Jocelyn who was the little girl who endured a horrifying and steady amount of trauma, Simon, an impressively accomplished and successful adult who experienced the devastating trauma caused by the brutal genocidal attacks in Rwanda, and Claudette, Simon's daughter who grew up in the USA, unaware of what her biological and adaptive parents had endured, though she is deeply affected by their traumas.
The writing is exquisitely vivid. When Jocelyn learns of her mother's death, she is both relieved and re-traumatized by flashbacks of the cruelty she endured. She still has to carry on with her life, but when she drops her daughter off at school, she can't hide her tearful face after learning about her mother's recent death and the troubling flashbacks this knowledge brings. "... her daughter, Lucy, states at her as she cries, as if she is some strange creature on exhibition, a fetus in the murky water of a pickling jar."
The details of her abuse are not described, but enough is said to chill the reader. As her husband and daughter merrily race around their luxurious apartment, " The memory drops into the room like a shot bird from the sky, her stepfather, her mother's boyfriends, her mother---the belts, the extension cords, the chase. She feels herself deflating."
Jocelyn is the character I worried about the most. Though she has married an affluent man, and is now living in what she hopes is not just a safe and magnificent home and lifestyle, she struggles with her self worth. Her mother convinced her she is "trash, a bad seed, and destined for ruin. Deep down, Jocelyn believes it's true.
But this novel concludes with hope. Simon, afflicted with his own traumas and mental illness, gets a lucky break in finding his long lost daughter. He begins to build relationships, and reaches out to others. Don't worry. It's not a romance. He's just a kind, caring, senior who models how we should all be treating one another.
This novel doesn't explicitly get into the sexual, physical and emotional abuse the little girl endured, but it's hinted at, only once did I have to skip a paragraph. I can't say how detailed it was, since I skipped it, but it was only the one time. Otherwise, details are kept murky.
The story is told through three narrators, Jocelyn who was the little girl who endured a horrifying and steady amount of trauma, Simon, an impressively accomplished and successful adult who experienced the devastating trauma caused by the brutal genocidal attacks in Rwanda, and Claudette, Simon's daughter who grew up in the USA, unaware of what her biological and adaptive parents had endured, though she is deeply affected by their traumas.
The writing is exquisitely vivid. When Jocelyn learns of her mother's death, she is both relieved and re-traumatized by flashbacks of the cruelty she endured. She still has to carry on with her life, but when she drops her daughter off at school, she can't hide her tearful face after learning about her mother's recent death and the troubling flashbacks this knowledge brings. "... her daughter, Lucy, states at her as she cries, as if she is some strange creature on exhibition, a fetus in the murky water of a pickling jar."
The details of her abuse are not described, but enough is said to chill the reader. As her husband and daughter merrily race around their luxurious apartment, " The memory drops into the room like a shot bird from the sky, her stepfather, her mother's boyfriends, her mother---the belts, the extension cords, the chase. She feels herself deflating."
Jocelyn is the character I worried about the most. Though she has married an affluent man, and is now living in what she hopes is not just a safe and magnificent home and lifestyle, she struggles with her self worth. Her mother convinced her she is "trash, a bad seed, and destined for ruin. Deep down, Jocelyn believes it's true.
But this novel concludes with hope. Simon, afflicted with his own traumas and mental illness, gets a lucky break in finding his long lost daughter. He begins to build relationships, and reaches out to others. Don't worry. It's not a romance. He's just a kind, caring, senior who models how we should all be treating one another.
January 18, 2020
This book was a total mess. I should have tossed it at the beginning but kept thinking it might redeem itself. The writing was acceptable but the plot was unrealistic. A woman with a black mother and a white father who has been repeatedly and horrifically abused throughout her childhood in Cincinnati according to constant visual imagery but no details somehow ends up married to a rich white movie producer (who asked the abusive mother for her daughters hand in marriage) and living in luxury on the coast in LA. It is never explained how this happens or any real details about her husband. She has a 6 year old daughter whom she obsessively looks after full time. When encouraged by her husband to take up a hobby, she decides to play tennis at the country club. Apparently she is excellent at this but how in the heck did she learn it while being tied up with electrical cords in the Midwest? Anyway she has an affair with her female coach, the details of which are outlined over many sections in a pretty gratuitous fashion. Another insane thread in the book is that her neighbor is a famous architect but apparently has no friends so is always available. He is from Rwanda and was involved in the genocide so is equally traumatized. (But he also plays tennis) These parts do not ever come together satisfactorily and somehow she ends up trying to dive off a bridge in Cincinnati with her daughter but is saved by her neighbor who used his private plane to follow her. Honestly?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2020
Small Silent Things was the book that I received from @pageonebooks for my leftover BOTM credit. I planned to finish it this weekend, but two thirds of the way through, I got completely sucked in and had to finish.
Jocelyn Morrow, who was raised in a severely abusive home, is now raising her own daughter in a wealthy California suburb. Simon Bonaventure lives in the condo next door and is haunted by memories of the genocide that claimed his family.
They both harbor secrets and the demons that come from a violent past, but they forge a delicate friendship made stronger by their shared pain. As Kate descends further into an illicit relationship, Simon wonders if the letter he received from a woman claiming be his daughter could possibly be true.
In the end, their friendship may be what they both need to put their past to rest.
This was a beautiful story full of heartbreak and betrayal, but also hope and healing. There was more suspense than I expected and also some steamy scenes that made things extra interesting. The slow burn beginning turned into a race to the end for me and I hope Robin Page has more books in the works.
TW for child loss and descriptions of sexual and physical violence.
Jocelyn Morrow, who was raised in a severely abusive home, is now raising her own daughter in a wealthy California suburb. Simon Bonaventure lives in the condo next door and is haunted by memories of the genocide that claimed his family.
They both harbor secrets and the demons that come from a violent past, but they forge a delicate friendship made stronger by their shared pain. As Kate descends further into an illicit relationship, Simon wonders if the letter he received from a woman claiming be his daughter could possibly be true.
In the end, their friendship may be what they both need to put their past to rest.
This was a beautiful story full of heartbreak and betrayal, but also hope and healing. There was more suspense than I expected and also some steamy scenes that made things extra interesting. The slow burn beginning turned into a race to the end for me and I hope Robin Page has more books in the works.
TW for child loss and descriptions of sexual and physical violence.
September 11, 2021
This book took me a lot longer than I had ever hoped to get through it. I'm not sure why it was so hard for me to get into it because when I read the synopsis I thought it would have been a book I would have absolutely loved.
This book captures trauma, childhood trauma, and how these things can bind us or divide us. It is a tale of a woman who is struggling with the aftermath of deep trauma and the struggles to fit in to a world that is "perfect". That at least was my interpretation. I felt deeply for Jocelyn's character and so badly wished that she would have been able to get to a place where she didn't have everything stacked against her. Her love for her daughter was beautiful and her connection to Simon was heartwarming. It shows how Jocelyn and Simon, two people who have experienced trauma of the worst kind, can be bonded together without ever sharing a word and how society doesn't always leave space for the traumatized.
This book leaves the question: how does one get through the pain of our trauma in a world that is so focused on being elite. If that makes any sense to you.
I'm sure this may be an easy read for some but for me it was difficult to get through.
This book captures trauma, childhood trauma, and how these things can bind us or divide us. It is a tale of a woman who is struggling with the aftermath of deep trauma and the struggles to fit in to a world that is "perfect". That at least was my interpretation. I felt deeply for Jocelyn's character and so badly wished that she would have been able to get to a place where she didn't have everything stacked against her. Her love for her daughter was beautiful and her connection to Simon was heartwarming. It shows how Jocelyn and Simon, two people who have experienced trauma of the worst kind, can be bonded together without ever sharing a word and how society doesn't always leave space for the traumatized.
This book leaves the question: how does one get through the pain of our trauma in a world that is so focused on being elite. If that makes any sense to you.
I'm sure this may be an easy read for some but for me it was difficult to get through.
February 17, 2022
One of the themes of this book touched me especially because I just recently read a book about the Rwandan genocide. I can also relate to the mental illness theme from both my own experiences and those of family & friends.
For such a short book (317 pages), it was amazingly powerful. The author did not spend more time than necessary on excessive descriptions of characters and past events. She let the characters show themselves to you and gave you just enough crumbs of the past so that you knew just how horrible it was.
It moved fast. Fairly short chapters. She moved quick, like the snapping of fingers. My heart felt like it was in my throat near the end. I could see where the story might end up and I read with tears falling as it got there. But is that, indeed, where it ended? You'll have to read to find out.
I think that someone who doesn't have much knowledge of that awful genocide or certain mental illnesses & trauma might not "get" the struggles of the main antagonists. I think, though, that the author did such a superb job that even those without the background will be touched by it. I was blown away. I'll definitely be looking for more by Robin Page.
For such a short book (317 pages), it was amazingly powerful. The author did not spend more time than necessary on excessive descriptions of characters and past events. She let the characters show themselves to you and gave you just enough crumbs of the past so that you knew just how horrible it was.
It moved fast. Fairly short chapters. She moved quick, like the snapping of fingers. My heart felt like it was in my throat near the end. I could see where the story might end up and I read with tears falling as it got there. But is that, indeed, where it ended? You'll have to read to find out.
I think that someone who doesn't have much knowledge of that awful genocide or certain mental illnesses & trauma might not "get" the struggles of the main antagonists. I think, though, that the author did such a superb job that even those without the background will be touched by it. I was blown away. I'll definitely be looking for more by Robin Page.
February 16, 2021
3.5 maybe? I liked a lot about this one.
Page swoops into the lives of two neighbors, both dealing with privately devastating personal traumas. Both Simon, the accomplished architect, and Jocelyn, the wealthy housewife and mother, have come into circumstances much more desirable than their underlying trauma that unintentionally linked them together, yet their current good fortune isn't enough to make up for their pasts.
Throughout the text, we flip back and forth between the two, learning of exciting and nerve wracking changes threatening to bring their pasts into the future, toppling the fragile balance they've achieved as adults.
Small Silent Things was well written, and the main characters were complex as they imperfectly attempted to deal with their traumas. The build was a little more than the bang for me though. A couple of our storylines sort of trailed off without a resolution that matched the care put into the journey to it. That being said, I still very much enjoyed reading this, and look forward from more to Page in the future.
Page swoops into the lives of two neighbors, both dealing with privately devastating personal traumas. Both Simon, the accomplished architect, and Jocelyn, the wealthy housewife and mother, have come into circumstances much more desirable than their underlying trauma that unintentionally linked them together, yet their current good fortune isn't enough to make up for their pasts.
Throughout the text, we flip back and forth between the two, learning of exciting and nerve wracking changes threatening to bring their pasts into the future, toppling the fragile balance they've achieved as adults.
Small Silent Things was well written, and the main characters were complex as they imperfectly attempted to deal with their traumas. The build was a little more than the bang for me though. A couple of our storylines sort of trailed off without a resolution that matched the care put into the journey to it. That being said, I still very much enjoyed reading this, and look forward from more to Page in the future.
July 29, 2021
Jocelyn is a Black woman married to a rich White man, surrounded by rich White people who know virtually nothing about her history. When her mother, who was incredibly abusive to Jocelyn and her siblings, dies, she does into a tailspin and feels like she is going to have a nervous breakdown. Her husband insists that she go into therapy and take up physical activity. She does but then has an affair with her tennis coach, most of which is heavily laden with S&M sex. Her next door neighbor (my favorite character) is a rich architect who survived the Rwanda massacres in which his wife died and his daughter was kidnapped. He doesn't know if his daughter is dead or alive. He bonds with Jocelyn's daughter and the three of them become friends. Small Silent Things is about the devastating effects of guilt, false responsibility for abuse and hidden life secrets.
October 18, 2024
I don’t know…this book was heavy, emotional, dark, and sad, just plain sad. I liked the idea of redemption, reconnecting, and making a bond with those who see you at your most vulnerable, unmasked self. But my goodness, it takes you into the mind of a broken person, struggling to heal from their trauma.
I wasn’t sure how the stories of the three main characters would fit, but it does, the polarity of both lives complements the other. You understand their decisions, their fears, and wonder how they manage to cope (even when it seems impossible) but the love and tenderness is there, found in the most unexpected places - after a suicide attempt, tragic deaths, and from a wild animal
TW: abuse, suicide, rape, hopelessness, cheating, SA
I wasn’t sure how the stories of the three main characters would fit, but it does, the polarity of both lives complements the other. You understand their decisions, their fears, and wonder how they manage to cope (even when it seems impossible) but the love and tenderness is there, found in the most unexpected places - after a suicide attempt, tragic deaths, and from a wild animal
TW: abuse, suicide, rape, hopelessness, cheating, SA
February 1, 2020
I think there is possibly the makings of 3 books in this one and I think separating the plot lines would have immensely improved them all. This is really 2.5 stars - I would have a hard time recommending but the author certainly has something to say.
The author references wanting to write "an affair book" - for me, the intensity of the focus on the affair made it difficult to focus on issues of genocide and trauma - just a very odd combination of narratives that I think detracted from each other.
The author references wanting to write "an affair book" - for me, the intensity of the focus on the affair made it difficult to focus on issues of genocide and trauma - just a very odd combination of narratives that I think detracted from each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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