The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves

Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Genres: Literary Fiction
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Book Review

“The little things that no one sees that could make the biggest changes of all”

The Silent Treatment opens on Maggie, a woman in her 70s, as she swallows a handful of sleeping pills and is taken to the hospital. Her loyal husband Frank, who has not uttered a word to Maggie in six months, is completely devastated. While Maggie is unconscious Frank tells her the story of their life together starting with the two of them meeting, hoping to convince Maggie to regain consciousness and come back to him.

This is a poignant look at one couple and the series of events that led them to the breaking point. It is a portrait of tender love. You can practically feel the love that Frank feels for Maggie, it radiates off the page. As the reader, I was pulled right into their story and wanted to know nothing more than how they got to this point and the answers to a hundred other questions that arise throughout the story.

Initially, I thought this would be a slow read for me, similar to other character-focused literary fiction stories. However, The Silent Treatment was a quick read for me. I loved Frank and Maggie’s relationship and hearing about the transition of their relationship through the years. I just wanted to give Frank a hug the entire time, especially after he finds his wife’s journal, explaining why she did what she did. It’s obvious they both truly love each other and want the other to be happy. I clung to the page, waiting to find out what happened to the people in their lives and about the events that led them to this moment. 

This is truly a book about grief and the ties that bind, however, there are themes of suicide and infertility, so if those topics are triggering to you, maybe skip this one.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for my copy! All opinions are my own.