Get a signed copy of Natalie Zellat Dyen’s book Locked in Silence on Independent Bookstore Day!
About the Book
"A haunting and gripping tale of a woman's unrelenting search to shatter the silence imposed upon her while locked within the cells of society's injustices." –Janis Robinson Daly, bestselling author of The Unlocked Path
Growing up in pre-Civil War Philadelphia, a city torn by racial violence, Lizzy O'Meara could have obeyed her mother's orders to stick to her own kind. Instead, she secretly joins the fight against slavery with her Black friend. When she meets Thomas Britton, a handsome Quaker, she knows she has found the love of her life.
But nine months later, everything falls apart when Lizzy gives birth and is accused of murdering her newborn baby. The only thing she remembers about the night of the birth is a midwife holding the child's lifeless body and screaming that Lizzy murdered her baby. Sentenced to four years in Eastern State Penitentiary, Lizzy is told to spend her days reflecting on her crime and finding God. But the months of silence, isolation, and systemic abuse loosen her hold on sanity and drive her to the brink of suicide.
Once she regains her freedom, Lizzy learns the shocking truth about what happened the night she gave birth. She vows to move heaven and earth to reassemble the fragments of her broken life. But will she fall victim to an enemy from her past who is eager to exact his revenge? Will she reunite with Thomas? And will she ever come to know the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child?
Locked In Silence tells an emotional tale of suffering, survival, and the healing power of love.
About the Author
I began writing humor pieces and essays for newspapers while working as a technical writer. Since turning to fiction, my short stories and poetry have been published in various literary journals including: Philadelphia Stories, The MacGuffin, the Schuylkill Valley Journal, Willow Review, Jewish Writing Project, Damselfly, CERASUS Magazine, Every Day Fiction, and Neshaminy: The Bucks County Historical and Literary Journal. My stories have appeared in a number of anthologies, including: Alternative Truths: Endgame; Shocking Verbs, Lawless Nouns; The Pandemic Project; and Beach Shorts.
My flash fiction piece, “By the Numbers” won Wordhaus’s Best of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2015.
My short story collection, Finding Her Voice, was published in 2019, and my debut novel, Locked in Silence, will be coming out in February, 2024.