{"product_id":"the-thunder-and-the-silence-roland-van-damme-9798218771331","title":"The Thunder and the Silence","description":"\u003cp\u003eA sweeping historical novel revealing the man behind America's most enigmatic Founding Father-Benjamin Franklin, whose brilliance built a nation but shattered his family...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Boston's candlelit print shops to Paris's glittering salons, The Thunder and the Silence follows Benjamin Franklin's rise-from runaway apprentice to statesman-and the family torn apart along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor readers of \u003cem\u003eWolf Hall\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Lost Names\u003c\/em\u003e, this is Franklin's story as you've never seen it: the brilliant mind who built a nation but couldn't mend his own family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis richly imagined novel brings to life the lesser-known Franklin-the young husband who brought his illegitimate son into his home, the devastated father who lost his beloved four-year-old to smallpox, and the aging diplomat who sacrificed his relationship with his loyalist son for the cause of independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcross seven masterfully crafted parts spanning 1706-1790, readers witness the triumphs and heartbreaks that defined a genius's life: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Young Ben's brutal apprenticeship under his jealous brother James and his secret identity as the witty widow \"Silence Dogood\" - His unconventional marriage to Deborah Read and their decision to raise his illegitimate son William as their own - The heartbreaking loss of their son Franky that nearly destroyed their marriage - His five-year absence in London that left Deborah to manage everything alone-and ultimately die without seeing him again - The painful fracturing of father and son as William chose loyalty to the Crown while Ben embraced revolution - His brilliant diplomatic triumph in securing the French alliance that won the war - His final years grappling with the human cost of his public achievements\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Thunder and the Silence\u003c\/em\u003e illuminates Franklin not just as the inventor, diplomat, and wit of history books, but as a man navigating the universal struggles of \u003cstrong\u003eambition versus family\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eprinciple versus pragmatism\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003epublic duty versus private loyalty\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBy the end, you'll see Franklin not as a figure in history-but as a father, a husband, and a man haunted by what he could not save.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers of historical fiction who loved \u003cem\u003eWolf Hall\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHamnet\u003c\/em\u003e, or \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Lost Names\u003c\/em\u003e, this intimate portrait transforms Benjamin Franklin from a face on currency into a fully realized human being whose genius came at profound personal cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA story of sacrifice, ambition, love, and loss that asks: What is the price of greatness, and who ultimately pays it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Roland Van Damme\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798218771331\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Blue Fox Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/20\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 582\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.69lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.30d","brand":"Roland Van Damme","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47931168424191,"sku":"9798218771331","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_32348c49-c9b0-4c3d-b7ae-adff74d8cdf3.jpg?v=1766346917","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-thunder-and-the-silence-roland-van-damme-9798218771331","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}