Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The story is set during the Colombia’s Civil War, fought between governments and far-left guerrillas. The author was inspired by a tapestry and other pieces including a banner with the slogan: “No more war! No more hate! No more blood!” while attending the Peace Communities Arts and Crafts. The artists were women, “led by Maria Teresa Giraldo, who created the Eastern Antioquia Peace Community. Its members are mothers, wives, and daughters committed to the cause of ending the war and getting their men back.” They armed themselves with posters, “burst into the middle of the combat zone carrying flags and chanting: “No more war! No more hate! No more blood!”

The story is presented through three women, opening in the early 1980s.

Mariate, 15 year old, gives birth to her baby Miguel Angel in prison. She was arrested for weapon possession, which she wasn’t aware off until the day it was discovered at her house, at the bottom of a trunk hidden by her boyfriend, Julian – a guerrilla fighter. The list of her crimes was long, including conspiracy against the state. A nun at the prison taught her how to knit. So she started creating tiny sweaters, caps, and ponchos for her baby.

Norma, 35 year old, from privileged family, can’t have children. One day, her husband, Colonel Ricardo, brings a baby home. His explanation is that he did it for his sister, who was a nun superior at a prison and asked him to take care of the baby of a prisoner, since the foster system was like a death sentence.

Amparo, 17 year old, works at a juice stand in a village and dreams about going to Miami, becoming rich and famous. Her father, a policeman, moved his family from a city to a small village, thinking this was a better place for his family. But it turned out differently. Now the guerrillas were controlling their village.

In 1982, “Law 35 granted amnesty to political prisoners and gave president special powers to create a Peace Commission to negotiate with armed groups.” It makes Colonel Ricardo furious as his power is slipping away. Not only that, but now the baby would have to be returned to the mother.

Now, Ricardo and his military men are deciding which out of two evils: naro-traffickers or the guerrillas, are more beneficial for their purpose.

Once out of prison, Mariate weaves a tapestry, the colors she picks represent her feeling, reflecting the country’s situation.

Towards the end, there are some parts which are a bit descriptive with civil war issues and among those descriptions the story of the women gets disconnected. Nevertheless, overall the story is interesting, touching upon hopelessness of women, who chose to have a voice.

Spiral of Silence, struck me hard, in the political climate we are currently in, this novel is much needed. I am so glad to have gotten my hands on this book, thanks to NetGalley, because we traditionally hear about "wars" and "revolutions" from a man's point of view. This is what we needed, a woman's voice to be heard, the female experience through the times of oppression, the ones that uplift after the world shatters us all down.

When you see the #METOO movement, Pink Hats, taking to the streets, when a man gets murdered and justice is not being served, the women are at the forefront. The WOMEN can change the world, they have already helped stop wars, seek justice, bring attention to issues, we just need MORE of them to be heard and to walk on a path of inclusiveness. Like what happened in Spiral of Silence.

The novel, Spiral of Silence, was woven beautifully to give life to the voices of "3 or maybe 4" women. How their strength and perseverance above all can bring forth changes and unite us all. Beautiful just a beautiful novel.

Three women, three different lives, interwoven by the civil war in Columbia, grief, hope and struggle to survive in difficult times.
I do not know enough about the civil war in Colombia to really understand who is who, which group was fighting for what, but I guess that's just the reality of civil wars. You don't really know whom you can trust and who will fight for your rights. And there are never winners.

It takes some time to get used to the three different POVs and the constant change from first to third person, but the story is gripping and sadly realistic.

Sánchez-Blake portrays Colombia's Civil war, exploring gender relations and sexism, in the context of social upheaval and confilct, emphasizing on the female experience, on women's feelings of trauma, loss and hopelessness during this tense period in Latin American history. She writes in the Postscript: "When I wrote "Spiral of Silence" in the first decade of the new millennium, many of these initiatives were just at the seed. I never envisioned that the cry portrayed by the women's cooperative at the end of the novel foresaw the clamor of real women connecting efforts and strength against a war that had lasted so many decades. The prediction has come true, and hopefully, Colombia will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and will cast off the dubious title of site of Latin America's longest political conflict, in favor of one of inspiration as it ushers in a historical transition to a postconflict era."