When We Were Silent

A Novel

By: Fiona McPhillips

Narrated by: India Mullen

This program is read by actor India Mullen, who plays Peggy in the Normal People miniseries.

“With her full-bodied voice and unhurried pace, [India] Mullen conveys an unsettled atmosphere and the intricate dynamics between all the players—villains and victims.”—BookPage

An outsider threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school in this suspenseful debut novel for fans of My Dark Vanessa and Dare Me

Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. It seems nearly perfect: the high arched window alcoves and tall granite pillars, the overspill of lilac at the front gate and the immaculate playing fields, the giggling students, the dusty, oak-lined library, and the dark, festering secret she has come to expose.

At first, Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, though all that changes when she is befriended by the beautiful and wealthy Shauna Power. But Lou finds out that even Shauna is caught up in Highfield’s web, and her time there ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.

Thirty years later, Lou has rebuilt her life after the harrowing events of the so-called “Highfield Affair,” when she gets a shocking phone call. Ronan Power, Shauna’s brother, is a high-profile lawyer bringing a lawsuit against the school. And he needs Lou to testify.

Now with a daughter and career to protect, the last thing Lou wants is for Highfield Manor to be back in her life. But to finally free herself and others, she has to confront her past, go to battle once more, and discover, for once and for all, what really happened at Highfield. Powerful and compelling, When We Were Silent is a binge-worthy, thrilling story of exploitation, privilege, and retribution.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2024 Fiona McPhillips (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Fiona McPhillips captures the claustrophobic nuance of teenage loyalties, lies and privilege on every page. A twisting, turning dive into a web of long-buried secrets, When We Were Silent marks Fiona McPhillips as one to watch.”—Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Exiles

“With a dark and poetic pen, Fiona McPhillips snakes through the waters of a tony private school, peeling away secrets in tiny waves until they crash into a powerful ending. This book absolutely nails what it feels like to be young, female, powerless, and dead set on redemption. A wonderful, relevant, and beautifully written debut.”—Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark and Night Will Find You

“‘Derry Girls’ meets My Dark Vanessa in this compelling debut. Fiona McPhillips has woven a story that is compulsive, tender and chilling in its familiarity. I was hooked all the way through, and had an enormously cathartic sob at the end! One of the most compelling books I've ever read.”—Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

Kept me guessing the end

Well developed plot and characters. Just the kind of boom to make chores go by quick.

Struggled to listen

The subject of the book is timely and very pertinent, but I just never connected with the characters. I found the pace too slow and drawn out. I pushed myself to finish.

Well written, deftly plotted and interesting characters

Well written, deftly plotted and interesting characters. Atmospheric and 80's Dublin teenage life well captured in this moving novel. Reminds me of Tana French.

Loved!

What a story and the way it unfolded was great! Written beautifully and told well!