A Whisper to a Scream (The Bibliophiles: Book One) [Kindle Edition]

Karen Wojcik Berner (Author)

Book Description

She could be your sister, best friend, wife, daughter, neighbor. An overwhelmed stay-at-home mom whose husband is too preoccupied with work to spend time with his family. A PR executive scared to death she waited too long to have the baby she has always wanted. When they meet through a Classics Book Club, each thinks the other one's life is so much better than her own. But, is the grass truly greener on the other side of the fence? A vivid portrayal of contemporary marriage and its problems, A Whisper to a Scream speaks to a longing in all of us, a yearning that might start as a vague notion, but eventually grows into an unbearable, vociferous cry. This is the first installment of six novels exploring the lives of The Bibliophiles, a fictional suburban book club.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some books you read, put down, and forget all about, but I promise you this won't be one of them."-- Kindle Fire Department

About the Author

Karen Wojcik Berner grew up on the outskirts of Chicago. After graduating from Dominican University with degrees in English with a writing concentration and communications, she worked as a magazine editor, public relations coordinator and freelance writer. A two-time Folio Magazine Ozzie Award for Excellence in Magazine Editorial and Design winner, her work also has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family.

Product Details

• File Size: 590 KB
• Print Length: 279 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 145659365X
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003DQPKSK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,072 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not read if you are struggling with infertility. August 10, 2011

By Megan

Format:Kindle Edition

I just read this book because it was one of the suggestions on Amazon after buying a few other books on infertility and because it got decent enough reviews. I enjoyed it until about I was about 85% done and the book became an infertile woman's worse nightmare. When you're going through months of infertility treatmenst the last thing you want to read is a story of infidelity and divorce. Our husbands leaving us for more fertile women is one of our biggest fears. I don't want to give too much away but I would highly suggest that anyone who is currently undergoing infertility treatments stay far away from this book! It literally made me sick to my stomach. I am disappointed that Amazon suggested it to me.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very realistic story August 3, 2010

By Tiffany A. Harkleroad TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Sarah is a stay at home mother to two young children, dealing with a somewhat absentee husband. Annie is a career woman, longing for motherhood but struggling with infertility. Both seem to long for what the other has, without even realizing it. The two women cross paths at a local book club, and we get to see the journey each woman goes on over the course of several months. Neither is fully prepared for where she will end up.

Quite an intriguing little book this is. It has been on my to read list for a month, and I read it basically in one day. It was hard to stray from it once I started, because I wanted to see what each woman was going to encounter next. I loved the two main characters of Sarah and Annie. I felt a little bit like a peeping tom, because we see these women in their most raw, real moments in life. They talk like real women. Their struggles are ones we relate to as women.

Sarah's story is one I see echoed in the lives of so many mothers that I know. When reading her portions of the story, I could literally feel her frustration and resentment leaping from the page. And with Annie, well, Annie's story is sort of my biggest fear in life, so it most definitely resounded.

What I like most about this book is that, while it lacks a conventional "happy ending" revolving around perfect partners and storybook romances, each woman finds her own version of happiness and purpose. I believe that is a lesson so many women need to learn these days.

A bit of a warning, when I first saw the title of the book, I expected an action packed mystery thriller, which it is most certainly not. But that is not to say the book is slow or lacks anything. If anything, when I finished the book, I was impressed with how real the storyline was. Nothing overly dramatic. Just the lives of two women, so similar to women we all know. I think that is ultimately why I liked the book so well. It was less like reading a book, and more like talking to two old college friends.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bent, but not broken June 10, 2010

By Dawn Judd

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A Whisper to a Scream takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions. This tale of two women, one already a mother and one who desperately wants to become a mother, accurately depicts the raw human emotion that comes with the prospect of becoming a parent. My heart ached for both Annie and Sarah as the course of their lives was altered by cruel fate. I admired the strength they showed despite everything they encountered. They both proved that what does not kill us truly does make us stronger. Karen's writing is smooth and entertaining, leading the reader right to the heart of the story. Her words tell us of the true strength of the human spirit.

More About the Author

Karen Wojcik Berner writes contemporary literary fiction with a sprinkling of the classics. Her Bibliophiles novels explore the lives of fictional American suburban book club members. Unlike most series that follow one character through various adventures, the Bibliophiles is a little different. Each book club member gets the chance to "star" in his or her novel.

For example, the first, "A Whisper to a Scream," centers on Sarah, a stay-at-home mother of two, and Annie, a PR executive with fertility issues, each of whom thinks the other's life is far superior to her own. Their story is followed up in Karen's holiday digital short, "A Bibliophile Christmas." "Until My Soul Gets It Right" chronicles Catherine Elbert's journey as she bounces from coast to coast in search of her true self.

Karen grew up on the outskirts of Chicago, where she spent most of her summers reading while sitting sideways in her rocking chair, warm breezes floating through her windows. After graduating from Dominican University with degrees in English with a writing concentration and communications, she worked as a magazine editor, public relations coordinator, and freelance writer. A two-time "Folio Magazine" Ozzie Award for Excellence in Magazine Editorial and Design winner, her articles have appeared in countless newspapers and magazines. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family. 

To learn more about Karen, please visit her website, www.karenberner.com.