Out of the Silence weaves historical fact with poetic invention in a captivating story of hope and ambition, regret and consolation, and the quest to right personal and political wrongs.
'This is a work of intelligence and talent informed by a deeply humane sensitivity ... If Wendy James aspires to be our national novelist, she is on her way. In equal measures intellectual and sensual, Out of the Silence is a brilliantly cut literary gem sparkling from every angle.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Her pitch is perfect, her style of a limpid beauty, her reach deep and her characters real, haunting, disturbing. Such a writer is Wendy James. Such a novel is Out of the Silencebeautiful yet disturbing, deep yet accessible, full of real, human characters yet exploring wider social and moral questions, combining the pace and story of commercial fiction with the range and depth of literary fiction.' Sophie Masson
'This novel reminds us how hard the fight was for women's rights, and how some issues (childcare, contraception) remain contentious. Yet its historical recreation is achieved via characters who are flesh and blood, and who touch the reader. Recommended.' Lucy Sussex, Sunday Age