The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

This book certainly packs a punch and if you read it, you’ll be quickly drawn into the story and will have a hard time putting it down. The Weight of Silence takes place in Willow Creek, Iowa, where one morning, 7-year-old Calli and her best friend Petra both go missing on the same morning. The challenge is that Calli hasn’t spoken a word in over three years, ever since the day her mother miscarried. A manhunt is quickly launched and Calli’s brother, Ben is pulled into the search, which focuses on the woods behind Calli’s house. The stories of the missing girls is interwoven with the story of the search, which is being led by the local sherrif, Loras Louis, who is still in love with Calli’s mother. This isn’t a happy novel and covers some serious topics but would be a great book club pick, as it offers you a lot to discuss. And even though the subject matter is heavy, the author does a good job of keeping things from becoming overly emotional.