Out of the Silence

First edition
Author	Wendy James
Country	Australia
Language	English
Genre	novel
Publisher	Random House, Australia
Publication date	2005
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	351
ISBN	1740513835
Followed by	The Steele Diaries

Out of the Silence (2005) is a novel by Australian author Wendy James. It won the 2006 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel.

Plot summary

The novel is based on the true-life story of Maggie Heffernan, who, in early 1900, was convicted in Melbourne of the drowning murder of her infant son. The novel follows her grim journey from the country to the city, vainly seeking her ex-fiance, finding herself destitute and finally accused of a dreadful crime. Vida Goldstein is an educated single woman running a local private school, campaigning for votes for women and contemplating running for parliament. Elizabeth Hamilton lives in Vida's aunt's house in suburban Melbourne - an upper middle-class life that provides a sharp contrast with poor Maggie's circumstances. Elizabeth and Vida take up Maggie's cause after her arrest and while their efforts don't meet with total success, all characters are changed by the events within the book.