The Silence Factory
Set in Victorian England and 1820s Greece, The Silence Factory is Bridget Collins’ third novel for adults. The story takes place in a recognisable place and time, but it is a historical setting overlaid with an eerie, gothic aura. Henry is an aspiring poet living with his father-in-law. He has trained with him as an aurist, selling ear trumpets, hearing aids, and helping the deaf to recover their hearing.
Henry feels trapped and despondent since the death of his wife in childbirth, his father-in-law treats him with contempt, and when he is given the chance to visit a potential customer and treat his deaf-mute daughter, Philomel, in Devon, he takes it. Henry is quickly seduced by Sir Edward and his lifestyle. The town revolves around Sir Edward’s factory making Telverton silk, a silk made from spiders’ webs that Sir Edward’s great uncle brought back from Greece.
However, Philomel’s governess Miss Fielding tries to warn Henry about the origins of the Telverton silk, giving him the diaries of Sir Edward’s great aunt Sophia. These diary entries from Sophia’s time in Greece are interspersed throughout the narrative, and they lead Henry to ask questions and wonder about the darkness at the heart of Sir Edward’s silencing silk and the threat it poses, when in the wrong hands. This is a brilliantly structured gothic tale of greed, grief, family, and friendship. Perfect for fans of Stacey Halls or Sean Lusk.
