This was a great novel about love, mistakes, family dynamics and more set against the assassination of JFK. I liked the story but wished there was more detail about the characters who witnessed JFK's last moments. I think more detail about that would have made this 5 stars instead of 4 for me. Overall this was a great read that gave me insight into how women were treated by society in the early 60s if they were unwed, pregnant, a single mother or sadly suffering g from PTSD or post partum depression. I also wish the book focused a little more on the character of Kenny.

A dual time line novel where sisters Raine and Jessica sort through their grandmother Mariah's memorabilia to fund the truth about her past. It's a different take on the Kennedy assassination. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fast read that never goes too deep.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but there were a couple things that didn’t work for me. The biggest was Jessica & her POV….she’s a workaholic trying to balance work and her marriage. We get it. But that’s literally all her chapters include except for the occasional visit to Mariah or going somewhere with Raine. I think I would’ve enjoyed this more had it just been the alternating POVs of Mariah & Raine and just had Jessica included in those. Also speaking of Raine, if I had a dollar for every time she drove somewhere & reading about how traffic thins out before she’ll talk while driving…I’d be pretty rich.

I tore through this book in one day! I simply couldn't put it down. The layers of the story and the way it was told were fantastic. Such a great representation of the fact that each person experiences things in their own way. It was also a wonderful reminder that you should not take everything at face value, but work to discover the context so that you know the truth of a situation.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A family death always leaves untied ends. In this case two sisters areleft with three
boxes of memorablia, with instructions how to proceed. What they did not anticipate
was decades oldsecrets which were shocking, unexpected and had ramifications for tge
future.

Left with so much documentary evidence, Jessica and Raine try to put together pieces
of their grandmother's past, why she kept so much secret and how they should handle
the future, given the complications in their own lives.

A very good story of a family crossing three generations, a closely knit family who
now have to forgive and move forward. Very well written.

3.75/5 stars. Raine and Jessica’s grandfather passes away, leaving behind instructions for them to uncover a family secret, that will change their lives as they know it. These sisters embark on a journey together to sift through their family’s history, and are shocked at what they find.

This was a great read. I loved the character development and the inclusion of a neurodivergent main character. The concept did remind me of Black Cake in a way, so if you enjoyed that book, give this a read! It’s a bit historical fiction, a bit contemporary as well as a bit of mystery. This book will be available on July 18th, 2023!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Elizabeth Langston and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

What a profound and heartfelt story. Full of family discoveries and revealed secrets, this historical fiction is sure to captivate readers. I loved reading about the connections that exist and grow between the generations of a family as the two sisters work together to uncover hidden secrets.

As expected in a story such as this, there is family drama that gets worked out and uncovered. I thought it was handled well and that the author did a good job of writing how trauma affects the generations of a family. Plus, the journey of discovery and growth that the sisters go through makes this a compelling read. I do wish there was more to their relationship with their mother, though.

I recommend this to historical fiction readers who enjoy doses of family drama and discovery.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC and for the opportunity to review this book. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I had mixed feelings about this one.
I liked Raine a lot and liked that she steps out of her comfort zone to solve the mystery her grandfather wanted her to solve.
Jessica is learning more about herself as she tries to figure out how to balance her time, be better friends with her sister, and forgive family members.
I liked the looking back in history and learning about the family that way.
I liked the look at Mariah being there when Kennedy was shot and how that affected her life.
This is a good book about family and how the history can change and shape a family, for better or worse.
In the end I felt that Jessica and Raine had a better sister relationship, but I couldn't feel the emotion of them being closer.
But all together this is a good read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

This is a story about family and with that we always know there will be secrets, lies and of course truth and forgiveness in the end. This is what I love about a good book about families.

It is a book that is well written, which draws you in and takes you on this ride along with the sisters. It takes you from 1963 to sixty years later, love, loss and two sister's fulfilling their grandfathers last wishes. The characters are wonderful and they are what make this story so real and believable.

A wonderful story of and I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I was going through the “read now” NetGalley listings this week, the title and cover of this book caught my attention immediately. The way it begins with flashing back to that tragic November 1963 day in Dallas was very intense. I did find that I struggled a bit to keep focused on the present day story, despite the compelling intergenerational family narrative.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity, from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, to obtain this ARC.

It seems I am in the minority here, but this book just did not work for me.

The premise is just bad: Raine and Jessica - sisters who receive a letter after their grandfather's death that reveals clues to the family secret that they must figure out.

Seriously. Could their Grandfather not have just sat them down anytime in the last oh, 5 years to clue them in? Why make such a production about everything? Mariah can't provide her story as she suffers from Alzheimer's. Their mother refused to tell them for reasons I still can't understand.

Also, it seemed that each character had their ONE feature and that was pushed to the max. Raine and Jessica - one was a type A workaholic news producer, the other suffers from ADHD/OCD. Each written completely stereotypically. The same for the other characters who had their own quirks; postpartum depression, the jealous girlfriend turned wife; the country hick boy from the wrong side of town, the supportive lawyer husband/father who barely has time for his kids, etc., etc.

And the biggest piece of all is WHY did they even bother keeping the film from 22 November? If it was that traumatic, why wouldn't it have been destroyed, thrown out or even left behind somewhere?

Just too many issues for me to have enjoyed this book.

A novel about family, truth, decisions, and forgiveness.

Mariah was a witness of Dallas, 1963 tragedy. A tragedy that split her life into before and after, which started their long family history. Now, sixty years later, Mariah's memories already fading. Her granddaughters, Jessica and Raine still grieving from their grandfather's passed, told about his dying wish to uncover decades of their family's secrets. The sisters unite to find out what secrets are hidden from them and struggle to understand decisions and choices taken that affect their family, and threatened to ruin them apart.

A powerful and heartwarming story about family, decisions, understanding, and forgiveness. Also touched the subject of motherhood, and women's struggle. The characters careful develop, and the story flow naturally.

My main problem with this book, is the relationship's between the protagonists. As a fan of sibling's journey, I barely feel connection between Jessica and Raine, I understand that at first it was on purpose, because it was the picture of their relationship, hence the wish for them to work together, to bring them closer. Unfortunately, even after the end, I don't particularly feels the change. And not to mention, their mother, it would be more impactful if we get the glimpse of their relationship. The sister barely mention their mother and I don't feel connection between them at all.

It was a nice reading. And suited for people who enjoy family drama, and journey to discovery and uncovering secrets and trauma.

I would like to thank Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for providing me a digital copy of this book.

I was drawn to this novel because of the historical component of JFK’s assassination. This story is full of family secrets, complex choices and heartbreak. I think this will be a favorite for book clubs as there are many interesting topics to discuss. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others.

I really like this authors take on historical fiction and this one centered around Kennedy . I thought the characters were believable and it was just well done and just overall a good story
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

The Measure of Silence is a historical fiction following two sisters on their journey to uncover their family secrets. This is a beautiful story with explores generational secrets and the trauma those memories, secrets and lies cause. Overall this is a profoundly emotional book with really interesting aspects of history and great twists.

This historical fiction involving President JFK's assassination was such a page turner! I enjoyed the flashbacks and time line and got so involved in the story! I would highly recommend this to a fan of historical fiction!

Elizabeth Langston’s The Measure of Silence is the beautifully written story of two sisters sent on a search to uncover family secrets by their recently deceased grandfather. It’s also a book full of so many trigger warnings that I don’t know who I could safely recommend it to.

The author wrote so convincingly of generational trauma, grief, mental illness, the pain of uncovering lies told within families, the multitude of emotions felt both by those suffering from dementia and those who love them, and more. Had I known how often this story would cut right down to the bone, I would never have picked it up.

The writing is wonderful and the story is fascinating. The problem lies with the marketing of this book. The official blurb available on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. doesn’t sufficiently describe the nature of the story. Publishing companies seem to have a problem these days with either spoiling the entire story or not giving you enough information to make an informed decision in their advertising. In this case, we are not provided enough information.

The Measure of Silence definitely deserves an audience, but not everyone should read it. My advice is to go to StoryGraph and look at the content warnings other readers have generously left for you. If you can handle them, absolutely read this book. If you see something that is a sensitive topic for you, wait for Elizabeth Langston’s next book. I’m sure it’s going to be a good one.

What an excellent book. It had me hooked from the first page. At first I was a little hesitant but I could not put it down. Inheritating boxes from their grandfather, Raine and Jessica must sort out the mystery that happened in the past and they had to decide what to do with the information they found. It was their grandmother Mariahs secrets in her hope chest and since their grandmothers memory is falling they want to unravel and get answers.
This one kept me guessing until the end. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book.

The Measure of Silence is a beautiful, but difficult, story about families - their decisions, deceptions, loves, longings and resolutions. It brings in an element of historical fiction that drives the main story from the beginning to the end. The characters are carefully developed and include a main character who is present throughout the story with a impactful influence but doesn’t have his own voice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this sweet ARC.