The Voices of Silence

Bel Mooney

Synopsis:

Voices of Silence describes 14 year-old Flora Popescu’s turmoil during the Romanian revolution of 1989. The young girl’s world seems strange and slowly starts crumbling down. What made her quarrel so brutally with her best friend Alys? And why are her parents whispering all the time? What are they trying to hide and from whom?

Then, there’s Daniel, the mysterious newcomer to her class. Even though she likes him, she can’t explain why all these changes coincide with his arrival in Bucharest, why he dresses so differently from all the rest of them and why people refuse to trust him. Her father’s words echo in her brain: "People like us can’t afford the luxury of new friends".

In her search for answers in the violent context of the build-up to the revolution, Flora discovers the danger in which her father finds himself and realizes that she is the only one who can save him. This award-winning book is a thought-provoking tale of loyalty, acceptance and the power of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming hardship.

The author, Bel Mooney, is a worldwide acclaimed children’s writer as well as a journalist and a broadcaster. This book was inspired by her trip to Romania in March 1990, soon after the revolution. Her gripping style makes Voices of Silence a great read for children of 9 years old and above.

Since Amnesty International endorsed this book, in its 2007 Walker re-edition, as a remarkable contribution to a better understanding of human rights and the values that underpin them, Bel Mooney has donated all the proceeds of the books to the organization.

This book will be available to buy online from 6 August 2008.