The Rest is Silence Audio Book Pre-order
What happened to the most famous missing person in British History
The Rest is Silence follows the life of introverted schoolgirl Muriel Mead, who disappears from a village lane on the eve of World War II. Yet Muriel's story is more complicated and unexpected than many believed at the time.
Her journey, told by two different narrators in companion novels, reveals Muriel's quiet determination to live on her own terms in search of silence and a place to call home. While a mystery lies at the heart of both books, The Rest is Silence is a beautifully crafted exploration of how we seek and assess truth and what it means to live a life that is out of step with others.
‘I read the book in two sittings, and a couple of weeks on I’m still thinking about it.’ JBA Debut Novel Award
Publication date October 2025
What happened to the most famous missing person in British History
The Rest is Silence follows the life of introverted schoolgirl Muriel Mead, who disappears from a village lane on the eve of World War II. Yet Muriel's story is more complicated and unexpected than many believed at the time.
Her journey, told by two different narrators in companion novels, reveals Muriel's quiet determination to live on her own terms in search of silence and a place to call home. While a mystery lies at the heart of both books, The Rest is Silence is a beautifully crafted exploration of how we seek and assess truth and what it means to live a life that is out of step with others.
‘I read the book in two sittings, and a couple of weeks on I’m still thinking about it.’ JBA Debut Novel Award
Publication date October 2025
What happened to the most famous missing person in British History
The Rest is Silence follows the life of introverted schoolgirl Muriel Mead, who disappears from a village lane on the eve of World War II. Yet Muriel's story is more complicated and unexpected than many believed at the time.
Her journey, told by two different narrators in companion novels, reveals Muriel's quiet determination to live on her own terms in search of silence and a place to call home. While a mystery lies at the heart of both books, The Rest is Silence is a beautifully crafted exploration of how we seek and assess truth and what it means to live a life that is out of step with others.
‘I read the book in two sittings, and a couple of weeks on I’m still thinking about it.’ JBA Debut Novel Award
Publication date October 2025
About the Author
Over a long working life Barbara Whitfield has variously stuffed envelopes, sold fish, books and coffee, carried out research for the OED and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and edited non-fiction. She also completed a doctorate in Spanish Art History. She lives on a smallholding between the hills and the sea, in West Wales where she has learnt to re-roof a house, dig ditches, grow vegetables and write novels. Her debut, The Rest is Silence, was shortlisted for the JBA Debut Novel Award 2023 and ranked in the top 6% for the Bridport First Novel Award the same year.