By Stephanie Bennett

The Within the Walls trilogy chronicles the life of Emilya Hoffman Bowes Brown—technological genius, collaborator in the newest wave of “tek” enhancements to hit the market, and creator of virtual vacations. In Book 1, Emilya finds information that leads her on a journey to a community of dissidents who have chosen to live without technology, exposed to nature and the elements—something that was supposed to be impossible. As Book 2, Breaking the Silence unfolds, Emilya is trying to understand the puzzle of these people in the wild, the way they live, and their use of words like “faith” and “soul.” Aren’t humans just biology and electricity? How can people co-exist in a place where they can’t simply turn off the communications of others or carefully edit responses? Complications pile up for Emilya as she tries to deal with aspects of love and friendship that defy her carefully constructed idea of what it means to be alive. The books in this series are intended to spotlight the illusion that we can achieve perfection, happiness, true relationships, or fulfillment within the walls of “safety” that we’re told technology can provide.