Whispers (Plain novel)
It takes place in Connecticut, where the young and naïve secretary Lynn falls in love with the ambitious and handsome executive Robert.
At work she befriends and later falls in love with her boss, Robert, a handsome and talented young man who is destined to a great future within the company.
Lynn gets entangled in a web of sugarcoated lies and half truths and is dazzled by Robert's good looks and gentlemanly demeanor.
Yet as time and their marriage progresses Robert lets his true colours show: he's possessive, domineering, controlling, and abusive emotionally, psychologically, and lastly physically.
Lynn learns that her self worth is not to be dictated by anyone, that being abused is not something to be ashamed of as it's not her fault, that rather she should stand up for herself and her little family and rise her voice to protect herself and her loved ones.
She also realizes that she is not a helpless little woman after all, that she has an inner fire that might not be showy but is just as roaring as anyone else's, giving her the strength to stand on her own two feet, finally opening her restaurant, and letting herself seek her much dreamed happiness.
Lynn: The protagonist of the novel, naive, young, pretty and vulnerable, she falls in love with Robert and blames herself for many of the faults he perceives in her which leads to abuse.
She loves to cook and dreams of having her own restaurant and catering service company, yet her husband constantly puts her down, abusing her not only emotionally and psychologically but also physically.
"), domineering to the extent of never letting his wife manage money or trying to control his eldest daughter's friendships and relationships when they are not to his liking.
He ends up in disgrace after the "secret" of his sporadic beatings to his wife leaks out, thus losing his job, his reputation, and his family.
He's a sweet natured man with golden hair that "has a friendly twinkle in his eyes and likes cats" according to Josie.
After years of separation, as he took a job abroad, he returns to the United States and starts a new life wit Lynn and her children.
Her last wishes were for Emily to have her money to go to the University she wanted and for Lynn to live a happy and safe life.
A natural beauty and extremely intelligent young lady, Emily is the responsible and successful teenage daughter of Lynn and Bruce.
Her dream is to become a social worker or a doctor, and thus help abused women like her mother realize that they are living in a bad situation and to try to get them out of it.
In the middle of te novel she has a spontaneous abortion after three months of pregnancy and has to be rushed to the ER, resulting in her losing the baby and her father on tightening his grip on her as much as he could, prohibiting her from seeing Harris ever again.
His father refuses to pay the tuition and Josie ends up gifting Emily with the last of her money before passing away, ensuring the girl can get into the university and be with the man he loves.
She is not as slender and tall as Emily, being more on the chubby side; her grades are poor, she has not talent nor interest for sports, and her life expectations aren't as grand.
Harris' Father A good natured policeman, the only man aside from Tom and Bruce who has stood up to Robert and told him head on that he knows of the abuse but due to respect and esteem for Emily and Lynn he never proceeded with the reports of violence from their neighbours.
He hates her because she talks a lot and he fears she might out the secret of his parents' death and the abuse his father inflicted on his mother.
