Books › The raging quiet
The raging quiet
First published 1999 · 440 pages
A tender, atmospheric historical tale about the profound power of being understood in a world quick to condemn what it cannot hear.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a harsh, wind-swept medieval village where ignorance casts a long, dangerous shadow. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, anchoring you in the quiet intimacy of two outcasts forging a language of their own. The mood is a striking contrast between the tender, sunlit moments of connection and the dread-soaked atmosphere of a superstitious town quick to cry witchcraft. Its prose is grounded and deeply empathetic, lingering on sensory details and the profound relief of finally being understood. It is a deeply moving experience for readers who gravitate toward historical fiction that champions empathy, resilience, and the defiant act of finding your voice in a world determined to silence you.
- Mood
- atmospheric
- oppressive
- tender
- isolated
- Tone
- earnest
- compassionate
- defiant
- tense
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- power of communication · overcoming prejudice · religious hysteria · found connection · fear of the unknown
- The writing
- Lyrical and deeply empathetic, focusing on sensory details and the nuances of non-verbal communication.
- The arc
- Moves from profound isolation and grief to a hard-won, defiant connection against a backdrop of rising communal fear.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love historical fiction centered on marginalized voices, deep emotional bonds, and the triumph of empathy over ignorance.
Content notes
- ableism
- physical abuse
- death of a spouse
- religious persecution
- witch trials
About the book
The Raging Quiet is a rather brillaint novel by Sherryl Jordan. It takes place in medieval times, when God was cherished and witches were burned. The novel revolves around a beautiful, hardworking young woman named Marnie, who is sent off to be married to a lord in order to let her family keep their house and farm. However, the marraige doesnt last long. Marnie becomes a widow after 2 days of marriage, her husband having died in a roofing accident. Finding herself alone in a new town, far away from her family, Marnie strikes up a unlikely friendship with Raver, a boy about her same age who is consently being whipped for having "the devil in him" when really he is only deaf and has never learned to talk. Marnie, seeing the goodness in Raver, begins to create a language using only her hands, proving that Raver is not a madman. However, these hand signs and the response of the "towns madman"'don't go over well with the villagers, they begin to believe that Marnie is a witch.
Description from Open Library.
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