Echoes of Silence Letters to a Drug Addicted Mother from the Woman Who Took Her Place

As the youngest of her three children completes college, Gwen Miller looks forward to the independence she's earned in her middle age. Suddenly, she faces the most difficult decision of her life-choosing between her own freedom and saving three neglected and abused children all under age 8. Not willing to leave these young lives at the mercy of the foster care system, she takes legal custody of her niece's children: Tyler, Isabelle, and Zach. Her moment of liberty vanishes the day she and her husband, Charley, take them in. Gwen unfolds a story of hope and heartache as she attempts to connect with her drug addicted niece, Melissa, to help her find her way back to her babies. As time passes, more and more discoveries are made of the horrors and abuse inflicted upon these children. Her reservoir of hope turns to despair as she grapples with the overwhelming commitment to provide a healing environment for these traumatized youngsters. Meanwhile, her appeals to their mother fall on deaf ears as the words come tumbling back-leaving nothing but Echoes of Silence.