In the Quiet

I didn't want to finish this book because I didn't want to leave these characters behind. I fell in love with this family, not because there was anything particularly extraordinary about them but because they were an ordinary family, like people we all might know and I was heartbroken for them as they grieved the loss of their mother and wife. Their story is told in an extraordinarily beautiful way by Cate who watches her husband and three children as they try to cope with losing her. This shoul [...]

I was consumed by this novel – fully engaged, filled with awe, devoted to the story and its characters, and moved beyond belief. It was not the least bit odd to me that the narrator was on “the other side of the veil” and observing her family in their struggles to adjust to her no longer being with them.Their failures and successes were observed and reported with love. Yet, more than that, there was the detachment of no longer being “in the world” – and the contrast brought each fami [...]

5 still, emotive stars to In the Quiet 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 and straight to the huggable books shelf! How to begin to do justice to a book you know you will never forget? One that is written immaculately, with precision and flow, and more importantly, unwavering sentiment. I finished this book a week ago, and I haven’t let go of this book, or even more so, it hasn’t let go of me. I created a huggable book shelf for books that get under my skin, ones that captivate my heart with deep conn [...]

!! NOW AVAILABLE !!”I don’t know how I died. That’s strange, isn’t it? To be dead and know that but to not know how it happened. To not know my last memory. It’s not something that I ever considered when I was alive. I can see and I can hear. And when I remember back to other times and other places, I see and hear them as though I’m reliving them. But when I remember, I miss things that are happening now. I miss chunks of time. I try not to remember. I try not to think. I watch and I [...]

5 Stars with Absolutely All the FEELS!!!Bass Carlton and his 3 children, Rafferty, Cameron and Jessa, recently lost their mother Cate. Cate was young, beautiful, full of life. Cate lingers on them from the great beyond, unable to let go. She does so as they learn to come to terms with what has happened - each in their own way. Bass, her husband has yet to process it. He has always been a great loving father. Yet he relied heavily on his wife Cate for so many things and now he is lost. Rafferty a [...]

The second book in as many months that I have read narrated by a woman, a mother, a wife, that has passed on to the great beyond. Would probably have passed on this if my good friend, Angela hadn't given this five stars. Which would have been a shame because this was simply a beautiful story.Cate, not yet forty, has died, she doesn't remember how and hopes to find out as she watches her family try to come to terms with her death. She is able to see certain things, she has no control over what, o [...]

5 Flourishing Coulee Stars for IN THE QUIET from all the Traveling Sisters!IN THE QUIET by ELIZA HENRY-JONES is an emotional, captivating, moving, and such a beautifully written novel that captured our attention and our hearts right from the very start.  We all absolutely fell in love right away with how this story was delivered and how well this story was written. For some of us, me included it quickly went into our 2018 favourite reads shelf!  We all fell in love with this family and each of [...]

Sebastian (Bass) Carlton and his three children, twins Rafferty (Raff) and Cameron plus younger sibling, thirteen year old Jessa were all mired in grief. Their wife and mother, Cate had recently passed away – it was totally unexpected and she was far too young in her mid-thirties. Living on a rural property, the family had been happy – Cate working the horses with Jessa and Raff both seeming to follow in her footsteps. But the loss of Cate meant the family faltered in their grief, unsure of [...]

I haven't read many afterlife type books and probably would have skipped this one but thanks to Bianca I picked up this book on her recommendation. This book has a gentle quietness, the slow unravelling of the grief left behind, you see the family floundering and plodding along making domestic mistakes only a mum knows how to do, it's clear how grief has seeeped deeply into this family and you feel a sense of uneasy despair for them all. The emotion pulls you in and you just want to scoop this f [...]

In The Quiet is a lovely, unique debut novel from Eliza Henry Jones.It deals with grief, family, and moving on with life.I was reticent to read it, as the synopsis stated that the narrator was a recently deceased mother of three, and I don’t “do” afterlife etc. But I’m so glad I did because this was astoundingly beautiful, heartbreaking and full of hope at the same time.Eliza Henry Jones is incredibly insightful, despite her young age. Her background in psychology and grief counselling h [...]

Losing someone close to you is never easy, especially when it occurs suddenly and that's exactly what happened when Sebastian (Bass) Carlton's wife Cate died. Overcome with grief for his wife, Bass didn't know how he was going to move forward or manage without his wife. Bass was left to raise their three young children as well as run the country property. Although Cate has passed away, she looks out over her family and she can see how they struggle from one day to the next without her. Picking u [...]

This is a beautiful book about grief and loss. The novel is narrated by Cate, a mother of three teenagers who has died suddenly and unexpectedly. She knows she is dead but can't remember how she died and is able to see her family from beyond, dipping into and out of their lives. She sees the seasons change as her husband Bass, daughter Jessa and twin boys Cam and Raff try to come to terms with her loss and struggle on as a family without her. Henry-Jones has written this novel in such depth that [...]

Eliza Henry-Jones is a brand new Australian author to watch out for! This book just oozes raw emotion.Cate Carlton is dead, she knows she has died but can't remember how. She also doesn't know how long she has been dead for.She knows she is dead because she has been watching her familyt they can't see her. Watching as they each struggle with their grief, in their own ways.She watches as her husband Bass and their 14 year old daughter Jessa, and their twin teenage boys Rafferty and Cameron try to [...]

Cate, mother of Jessa, Rafferty and Cameron, wife of Bass, rider of Opal the horse, is dead. She is dead, but she remains, unseen, watching over her family as they navigate life without her.This is a lovely, gentle look at grief and life after loss. The story is told through Cate's eyes, as she watches her family in a series of mostly short scenes (no chapter breaks or divisions), as well as earlier recollections. It is tender without being sappy, it shows rather than tells. It brings you to the [...]

It is slightly unnerving to consider the possibility of being able to watch over your loved ones as they deal with the aftermath of your death. An emerging voice in Australian fiction, Eliza Henry-Jones allows her reader to experience life after death in an accessible way through her debut novel, In the Quiet. Readers will find it hard pressed not to connect to Henry-Jones voice, I know my connection was immediate. Her prose is both refined and observant, as she explores a family’s heartache a [...]

Cate Carlton has past away, only she has no recollection as to how or when it happened. Cate is unable to feel, taste or smell, but she can still see her love ones - in all their stages mourning and what they say. Cate's life will unfold in brief and evocative accounts, full of feeling but not always giving a complete sense of conclusion. Unable to leave, it's up to Cate and the reader to determine how she died and if anyone was at fault. There are two potential reason's that are explored along [...]

Reading 'In The Quiet' is like standing at the edge of the ocean: it washes over you in small ripples and waves and allows for a bittersweet moment of contemplation. For a while you read and just let it envelop you as there is no point in grabbing at the many quite beautiful little details because they are as evasive as catching running water. A little more than halfway through, though, you find that you are deeper in than first thought. It's a little shocking, but at the same time seems complet [...]

Part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this review is because I just don’t think I can do it justice. I’ve thought of it so many times since I finished it that I changed my review from 4 stars to 5. Like the ghost who acts as narrator (a mother who has left her young family too soon), it lingers long after it ends. This is one of those rare books that you miss, that actually begin missing before it ends because you can sense it coming and you aren’t quite ready. In essence, it [...]

You can find this review on our Sister Blogtwogirlslostinacouleereading.

Took me two weeks to read this book!!!! (that is a long time!!) I’m not sure if it’s because it was an emotional read, thought provoking, sometimes a little confusing?? But I found I loved it, and the originality of the book, but might be one to sit and read in a quiet place one Sunday afternoon without interruption. It is a beautiful book and well done as we start off with Cate, who has died and not knowing how she has died, watch her family from afar dealing with her death. She can still h [...]

This is a surprisingly good book about death and the process of grieving.The characters (the narrator, her husband, three children, sister and best friend) are all just nice people are dealing with the narrator's death. My minor criticism is that there seems to be various happy and tidy endings and some of the flashbacks did not add all that much.Whenever I thought the story was languishing up came a small twist, a new piece of information and a new thread. Henry-Jones writing is so smooth and h [...]

BEAUTIFUL!I would 6 star this book if would let me!I dont care who you are or what your reading preferences maybe this story will grab your heart.This book is a cleverly written, wonderful story for all readers. This is one of my A class read for the year so far listen to us talk about this book and others listen to our Midsummer Nights Readsandaliciousbookreviews.c

What a great debut novel - i loved the characters and i loved the feel of fhe story - especially the pauses Original & authentic

We’ve all experienced grief at some stage in our lives but what does it mean to lose a wife and mother? What does it feel like to be that same wife and mother who is able to linger on watching over her family as they come to terms with their grief? Hopefully (and God-willing) none of us will ever have to know this tearing apart at the seams of a family but this is the territory which Eliza Henry-Jones, in her debut novel, In the Quiet, explores.As Bass and the children attempt to get on with t [...]

Full Review: booksandababy/?p=228I usually take a little time before reviewing, either here or on my beloved . But this is one I want to write about immediately because I.absolutely.loveisok.Narrated from the perspective of Cate, who has recently died, this follows the aftermath of her death and its affect on her three children, lovely husband, friend and family. Cate lives on a rural Victorian property with her horses, and for all purposes, had a wonderful blessed life. She herself comes to rea [...]

This book is my favourite read of 2015 so far. You definitely need a box of tissues while reading it, but it makes you feel so happy and full of emotion too. I could not put it down. -Emily

Loved it. Moving yet down to earth.

I was prepared to be devastated by Eliza Henry-Jones’s debut novel, In the Quiet. After all, it’s about a mother, who’s dead, observing her husband and three children from afar as they try to get on with life without her. Basically, ALL MY TRIGGERS.But then, apart from a little wobbly moment at the very beginning (the dead mother, Cate, was watching her children sleep… I know, right?), I was strangely resistant to this story. And I can’t really put my finger on why.“…Rafferty has c [...]

A very simple story which is written with exquisite care.I loved how I didn't actually notice that the book doesn't have chapters until I was past the midway point of the book.Oh how I adored the bolshy madam that is Jessa. She was just truly loveable.This book bordered on having too many characters in the first quarter, but you were so quickly brought into the fold with them that they because familiar to you. I think this also might have been a factor in how fast I sped through the book too if [...]

Imagine if you died but we're still able to observe your family, to witness their grief but not be able to do anything to help. This is what happens to Cate, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Cate cannot remember how she died but can see how her death has affected her loved ones. The story unfolds slowly, from the early days after her death to the changes over time. And over time Cate's frustration grows as she becomes aware of the circumstances of her death and the extent of the burden [...]