Questions for Discussion 1. There have been a lot of novels and memoirs in recent times dwelling on the subject of child abuse. Neil has a talent for revealing character indirectly, through dialogue and action rather than straightforward narrative description. Once Robbie reached Janvier, the novel changed in style and pace. The secondary characters in Neil's novel each have very distinct personas.
Children play an important role in A History of Silence.
So much is left unsaid between characters in Neil's novel-not just between Laura and Robbie and Esther, but between other characters as well, even the most loving. In a novel involving a Southern plantation, the portrayal of African-Americans can be a very sensitive issue. There was some ambiguity as far as Robbie's future. Meet the Author Barbara Neil was born in London and grew up there. She now lives and writes on a farm in Wiltshire, England, with her husband and five children. . . and 500 cows.