Helena Fox’s “The Quiet and The Loud”, published on March 28th, 2023, is a thought-provoking novel that grapples with the challenges associated with mental health and the long, harsh journey it takes for a person to heal from the wounds of the past while simultaneously finding your voice amongst the uncertainty that is life. As described by many, the book is a story concerning trauma, friendship, family, and “finding your way”, as well as exploring the stories we suppress and the stories we speak. The novel follows the story of eighteen year old Georgia (George) as she’s forced to look back upon the trauma her and her mother experienced at the hands of her alcoholic father, and in the midst of it all, she has to learn how to heal by breaking her silence, speak out about her suffering, and maybe even finding love in a girl who’s cartwheeled into her life.
Through vivid descriptions and powerful wordplay, Helena Fox thrust us into a life that, in some aspects, parallels our own a little too close for comfort. And while I’m sure not many of us may be able to relate to our father abandoning us in the middle of a lake and moving to Seattle, the evocative realism of George’s suffering touches us and reminds us of our own tender wounds, whether it’s the overbearing demand of life, the pressure to please others, or our own childhood trauma that has never received closure.
After reading the book, I realised that its central message nails something that I’ve never truly been able to put into words. It’s that sometimes when life feels too loud, all you want to do is sink into silence, but maybe the answer is to start speaking out and voicing the things we’ve kept quiet for too long. Thank you.