Silent to the Bone
E. L. Konigsburg
 Silent to the Bone is a first-person narrative by Connor Kane, a 13-year-old boy. Connor's best friend Branwell Zamborska was struck dumb and taken to the Juvenile Behavioral Center on the day his baby sister Nicole slipped into a coma and was taken to Clarion County Hospital. Nikki suffered a head injury, he dialed 9-1-1 but did not speak, the au pair completed the phone call, and Branwell was blamed for dropping the baby. Connor knows there is some explanation for Branwell's silence and that Branwell did not intentionally hurt Nikki. He knows that Branwell needs him and visits daily. Because Branwell does not speak, Connor does all the talking and communicates by a kind of sign language, inspired by Jean-Dominique Bauby. "Remember the story of the paralyzed Frenchman who wrote a whole book with the blink of his left eye? I no sooner had the sentence out of mouth than Branwell blinked his eyes twice, very rapidly, and I knew he understood our rules of communication."Silent to the Bone, first edition, p. 34. Initially he elicits clues by presenting keywords on handwritten cards (depicted by the author in the original front cover illustration). Connor recounts his daily visits to his older half-sister Margaret, after her workday, and they solve the case together. Nikki was hurt by the au pair, Vivian, who neglected her. Vivian smokes which harmed the baby. When Margaret was Connor's age, about fifteen years ago, their father Kane left Margaret's mother for Connor's. Margaret remains chilled by the experience. Connor's parents are not friendly with her, but they welcome her care for Connor after school and sometimes late into the night. "Call your mother and tell her you're having dinner at the Evil Empire," she says to him one evening.Silent to the Bone, first edition, p. 79. Eventually she resorts to Dad's expertise as University Registrar Kane, regarding the Zamborska case; that and some prodding by Connor effect some warming between daughter and father.