Happy Release Day!
Congratulations Rae
on the release today of
In the Shadow of Silence!
In the Shadow of Silence: A Novel by Rae Dumont
Death, Grief & Bereavement Fiction, 264 pages
Published February 17, 2026 by She Writes Press
After a lonely childhood, this novel follows love and joy—until the descent untreated depression ends with unbearable loss, forcing a family to deal with the shocking and immediate aftermath of suicide.
Eva’s lonely childhood has given her an intuitive connection with kids and teenagers. She is a gifted child psychiatrist. Single, she dreams of having her own children, and she yearns for love. The future seems bright when she meets Lyman; They build a family. They share adventures. They meet life’s challenges as team. They navigate a bout of Lyman’s depression; treatment works.
They share rich, fulfilling years while their careers develop, and their children grow up.
When their sons enter adulthood and their daughter is a teenager, they plan an entire summer as a family. But Lyman abruptly stops both therapy and medication. He spirals into a dark and irritable isolation that none of them can penetrate.
After his brutal suicide, Eva is left to cope and to guide her children through the trauma, as they each rebuild their lives.
EDITOR'S PICK: BookLife and Publishers' Weekly
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First lines—"Old photographs with curled edges are scattered on the red kilim rug. Barefoot on her knees, in faded denim overalls, Eva sorts them into piles."
Depression hits so many people and so many families. This story, In the Shadow of Silence, is one family's journey through the trials and tribulations of living with depression. This is something that affects everyone in a family going through it.
The author did an amazing job of creating caring, loving family members who lived and survived depression and the aftermath of their loved one's suicide. The subject was handled in a sensitive and responsible way while also showing how something like this touches everyone.
This story was quite personal to me as some of my loved ones have in the past, and some are currently struggling with depression so this one hits close to home. It was sometimes hard to read but also reassuring to see how others are managing their lives to get through it.
I received aa ARC of In the Shadow of Silence and this is my honest opinion.
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About the author
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Raymonde Dumont, MD, LMFT, is both a pediatrician and a family therapist.
She practiced and taught for several years at Harvard Medical School, and at the Joslin Diabetes Center. She saw the impact of one person's illness through their entire family, and showed that mental health affects medical outcomes.
In private practice, as a family therapist, she helps families collaborate during difficulties, rather than becoming divided.
She is also a mother, a widow, and a friend to many. She now turns her years of experience into words that speak of resilience, and of the flawed road that leads us to becoming good enough.
Depression and suicide are on the rise, and the impact of tragedy reaches far beyond those immediately affected. They often create a broad circle of confusion, anger and guilt. She hopes her book will make readers feel less alone. Perhaps it will bring some insight and comfort.
She lives and practices in Montclair, New Jersey, within reach of New York City. Her short stories have been published in Persimmon Tree and in The Hemlock Journal.
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