This Heavy Silence [Hardcover]

Nicole Mazzarella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2005

Strong, resilient, and deeply loyal, Dottie Connell farms her family’s three hundred acres in rural Ohio alone, having sacrificed love and family for land she does not own. A sudden, inexplicable event leaves the daughter of her childhood friend in her care. Pressured by her community to allow her former fiancée to raise the child, Dottie must face the past she has worked fifteen years to forget.

Spanning a decade, This Heavy Silence explores the power of the vows we make to others, and, more binding, those we make to ourselves. Evoking the hardship, spring-fed beauty, and the complexities of community in the rural Midwest, this beautifully observed, debut novel leads us to question our ideas about motherhood, faith, and the debts we owe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An unforgettable book by a writer to watch." -- Janet Peery, author of The River Beyond the World, finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction

"Nicole Mazzarella offers a subtle and enduring beauty, born of intense interiority, and vision both broad and deep." -- Scott Cairns, author of Philokalia: New & Selected Poems

"The work of an artist of deep commitment, it will linger long in readers' memories." -- Erin McGraw, author of The Good Life

About the Author

Nicole Mazzarella grew up in Ohio and writes with sensitivity and precision about rural, Midwestern life. She teaches creative writing at Wheaton College and lives with her husband in Illinois. This is her first novel; it was selected by Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a River, as a finalist for the Paraclete Press Fiction Award of 2004.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 255 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA) (October 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557254257
• ISBN-13: 978-1557254252
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,444,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful, richly plotted slice of life, September 30, 2005

By 

WriterGal "When in doubt, read" (Carol Stream, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Heavy Silence (Hardcover)

Dottie Connell has a farm in Ohio that she wants to keep. Thanks to an unscrupulous uncle, she's finding it difficult to do so. A little girl named Mattie (the daughter of her friend Zela) is practically dropped in her lap-a little girl with an inheritance. This story isn't just about whether or not Dottie keeps the farm or Mattie. It's about the power of redemption and the tiny steps a woman takes toward that. This is the type of story that gets into your bones and makes you want to tell someone else about it. It's poignant, well plotted, and populated with richly drawn characters. The lyrical language and carefully chosen imagery stay with you long after you close this book. You might love or hate Dottie Connell. But you'll never forget her or Nicole Mazzarella--an author you'll want to see more of. Mazzarella gets under Dottie's skin, showing us every fear, foible, or façade. She makes you care about Dottie, Mattie, Stanley, Retha, Morris, and all of the other characters in this very realistic slice of farm life during the 60s and 70s.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth every one of the 5 stars, October 4, 2005

By 

shadette atchison "grams" (orleans, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Heavy Silence (Hardcover)

Mazzarella knows how to write without insulting the intelligence of the reader. She's a brilliant author. It was a challenge to keep believing that this story was fiction. Her characters are like me - and like my friends and my neighbors - and nothing is pat or trite - people making dumb decisions bringing about painful consequences but moving by the grace of God to slow reconciliation. This is one author who has abley told the truth via fiction. It inspired me to tears - a first. One of Mazzarella's sentences "Clean was more convincing without a smell."clearly shows her ability to be simple and profound ----Fiction is more convincing without fluff.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly honest story, June 18, 2006

By 

JeanE (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Heavy Silence (Hardcover)

I bought this book after I met the author at a book fair and heard that it was set in and around my hometown. I was pleasantly surprised to find a captivating story sensitively written. Even though the main character is a cold woman, she is imbued with a humanity that impels you to care about her. With measured and accurate detail, the author breathes life into the farm, the towns, and the people that shape our heroine's existence. The writing style has a clarity and loveliness that is refreshing. Most importantly, the characters in this novel actually have souls, which I find lacking in most contemporary fiction. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to reading more from this new author!