In what used to be the suburbs of Chicago, a community lives and breathes despite the Silents in the wilds beyond. It's a bit of a straightjacket for fifteen year old Becky, facing marriage to one of the available men and bearing children who may or may not be sane. Until the unthinkable happens - the zombie-like Silents begin to recover their reason. The stage is set for a conflict between survivors and recovered, and between old ways and new.

Jennifer R. Povey is in her early forties, and lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. She writes a variety of speculative fiction, whilst following current affairs and occasionally indulging in horse riding and role playing games. Her short fiction sales include Analog, Cosmos, and Digital Science Fiction, and her first novel was published by Musa Publishing in April of 2013.