{"id":9148,"date":"2024-03-04T15:44:56","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T15:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/?p=9148"},"modified":"2024-03-31T19:13:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T19:13:27","slug":"the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"The Whispers: Summary and Ending Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:66.69921875%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:150.94339622642%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}<\/style><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9164\" style=\"width:832px;height:auto\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-960x640.webp 960w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1080x720.webp 1080w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 96px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20683'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='683'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9164 eager-load\" style=\"width:832px;height:auto\" title=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 96px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide.webp\" data-mvt-skip=\"src\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1024x683.webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-960x640.webp 960w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1080x720.webp 1080w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1200x800.webp 1200w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Note: the following discussion guide contains spoilers, as well as references to critical plot points and the conclusion of The Whispers by Ashley Audrain.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ashley Audrain, a Canadian writer, made her debut with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/49NwqWp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Push<\/a> in 2021. Following its success, her second book, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ig25n0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Whispers<\/a>, hit shelves in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This novel is a gripping psychological thriller exploring motherhood sacrifices, marital dynamics, female rivalry, friendship, and the fallout of intentional ignorance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ig25n0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Whispers<\/a> by Ashley Audrain<\/h5>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ig25n0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"530\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book.webp\" alt=\"the_whispers_book\" class=\"wp-image-9202\" style=\"width:200px;height:297px\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book.webp 530w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book-199x300.webp 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"530\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book.webp\" alt=\"the_whispers_book\" class=\"wp-image-9202 lazyload\" style=\"width:200px;height:297px\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book.webp 530w, https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book-199x300.webp 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the_whispers_book.webp\" data-mvt-skip=\"src\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<p>Inspired by a podcast chat between Gayle King and Oprah, the story revolves around characters masking doubts to project perfect lives, echoing the theme of intuition as whispers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">In this guide we will go through the complete summary and ending explanation for The Whispers by Ashley Audrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Have a wonderful book club discussion! &#10024;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained\/#summary\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained\/#summary\">Summary<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained\/#ending\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/the-whispers-summary-and-ending-explained\/#ending\">Ending Explained<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"summary\">The Whispers Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The story kicks off with an unnamed man returning home after cheating, a mysterious incident involving his lover&rsquo;s child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The narrative unfolds after a jolting event where Whitney&rsquo;s son, Xavier, falls from a third-story window. Doctor Rebecca puts him in a coma in the emergency room to reduce brain swelling. The main action unfolds in the hospital, where Whitney grapples with guilt and shame as a wife and mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flashbacks, especially to a party nine months ago, unveil tensions between Whitney and Xavier. The party incident, witnessed by neighbors like Blair and Aiden, and Rebecca and Ben, adds layers to the intertwined lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The party incident complicates the relationship between Blair, a stay-at-home mom engulfed by her daughter&rsquo;s needs, and Whitney, a business-savvy mom seemingly having it all. Blair, feeling insignificant and envious of Whitney&rsquo;s seemingly perfect marriage, sneaks into Whitney&rsquo;s house, uncovering coffee spills in Xavier&rsquo;s room and Aiden&rsquo;s key in Whitney&rsquo;s drawer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suspecting an affair, Blair still visits Whitney at the hospital but is rebuffed due to Whitney&rsquo;s struggles with motherhood. Whitney, overwhelmed with fear that Xavier will recall the incident, nearly attempts suffocation in his hospital bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Rebecca grapples with her fifth pregnancy after four miscarriages, feeling like a failure. Dealing with guilt and inadequacy, Rebecca had lied to conceive against Ben&rsquo;s wish to stop trying. She builds a unique connection with Mara, an older Portuguese American woman in the neighborhood, facing her own trials with a miserable marriage and a deceased son. When Mara&rsquo;s husband collapses, she delays calling paramedics, harboring a sense of responsibility for her son&rsquo;s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blair suspects Whitney&rsquo;s involvement in Xavier&rsquo;s accident, especially after her daughter Chloe admits to bullying Xavier on the day of the incident. Feeling guilty, Chloe urges Blair to take a card and gift to Xavier in the hospital. During the visit, Blair witnesses a moment between Ben and Whitney, hinting at an affair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she tries to expose this to Jacob, Chloe&rsquo;s father, he focuses on protecting his wife, warning Blair about the knowledge he holds regarding Chloe&rsquo;s actions. Despite the warning, Blair spreads rumors about Whitney&rsquo;s responsibility for Xavier&rsquo;s accident on online message boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Rebecca grapples with a miscarriage, Mara, the neighborhood observer, hints at Ben&rsquo;s infidelity. This revelation prompts Rebecca to confront Ben, leading to the painful truth about his betrayal. Despite Ben&rsquo;s declarations of love, Rebecca throws him out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A revealing flashback exposes that it was Ben, not Aiden, involved with Whitney. On the night of Xavier&rsquo;s fall, Ben and Whitney were interrupted by Xavier witnessing their intimate encounter. Earlier that evening, Xavier and Whitney had a heated argument, leading to Xavier expressing a desire to disown her as his mother. Whitney, in response, mentioned leaving him. When Xavier shouted, they fled, and his leaning out of the window caused the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon Xavier&rsquo;s awakening, Whitney avoids him for two weeks. When he finally speaks, he hints at revealing everything, leaving Whitney anxious. Blair, despite evidence of Aiden&rsquo;s affair (not with Whitney), returns to him. Mara regrets meddling in her neighbors&rsquo; lives, realizing it was a distraction from her unhappy marriage. Rebecca, though wounded, is free from her unfaithful husband, suggesting a chance for a fresh start and perhaps a different path to motherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ending\">The Whispers Ending Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So, what happens at the end of The Whispers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the final chapters of The Whispers, Rebecca emerges stronger after confronting Ben. Despite enduring a fifth miscarriage, she embraces solitude, finding the strength to move forward. Mara&rsquo;s wisdom holds true &ndash; when Rebecca needed resilience, she discovered it within herself and glimpsed a promising path ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversely, Blair chooses to move ahead with Aiden, convincing herself that her suspicions were baseless. Her intuition, however, was accurate; Aiden has been unfaithful, just not with Whitney. Blair&rsquo;s fixation on power struggles with Whitney blinds her to the possibility of another woman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having learned in her youth that enduring a husband&rsquo;s lies is part of being a &ldquo;good woman,&rdquo; Blair opts for the familiar, accepting Aiden&rsquo;s humiliating infidelity for the sake of feeling secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whitney understands Blair&rsquo;s inclination to endure, a factor in her silence about Aiden&rsquo;s actions. Despite thinking she could let go of control, Whitney proves otherwise. Attempting to manipulate the narrative, she is aided by her husband&rsquo;s willful ignorance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to Blair, he avoids confronting uncomfortable truths, building a fa&ccedil;ade of ignorance. Whitney, in piling lies upon lies, unknowingly sets the stage for her downfall. Her son senses the impending truth, foreseeing a moment where Jacob can no longer feign ignorance and Whitney&rsquo;s secrets unravel. The impending revelation threatens to shatter the illusion of control that Whitney desperately clings to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the novel&rsquo;s conclusion, Mara demonstrates heightened self-awareness, questioning her role in her neighbors&rsquo; lives and pondering if her interference went too far. However, this self-awareness doesn&rsquo;t pave the way for a happy ending. Despite her realization, Mara remains isolated, burdened by memories of her son Marcus and feeling responsible for Xavier&rsquo;s fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rebecca, perhaps due to her childless status, achieves a genuine self-control absent in Blair and Whitney.  For Mara, motherhood leads to a tragic choice favoring her son over her marriage. Even Rebecca, driven by the consuming desire for a child, resorts to deception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The text hints at Whitney&rsquo;s insight when she likens motherhood to a &ldquo;<em>voluntary death.<\/em>&rdquo; It manifests as Blair losing her identity, Whitney compromising her morality, and genuine intimacy perishing in all marriages depicted, including those of Mara and Rebecca. The toll of motherhood is a prevailing theme, suggesting its transformative impact on individuals and relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How did you like the ending of the novel? Happy reading!<\/strong> &#10084;&#65039;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Note: the following discussion guide contains spoilers, as well as references to critical plot points and the conclusion of The Whispers by Ashley Audrain. Ashley Audrain, a Canadian writer, made &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,35],"tags":[25,20,39],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide.webp",2430,1620,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-300x200.webp",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-768x512.webp",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1024x683.webp",1024,683,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-2048x1365.webp",2048,1365,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide.webp",2430,1620,false],"mv_trellis_1x1":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-728x728.webp",728,728,true],"mv_trellis_3x4":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-546x728.webp",546,728,true],"mv_trellis_4x3":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-728x546.webp",728,546,true],"mv_trellis_16x9":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-728x410.webp",728,410,true],"mv_trellis_srcset-960":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-960x640.webp",960,640,true],"mv_trellis_srcset-1080":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1080x720.webp",1080,720,true],"1200x1200":["https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/the_whispers_discussion_guide-1200x800.webp",1200,800,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Luka","author_link":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/author\/luka\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Note: the following discussion guide contains spoilers, as well as references to critical plot points and the conclusion of The Whispers by Ashley Audrain. Ashley Audrain, a Canadian writer, made &hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9148"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9148"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9203,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9148\/revisions\/9203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wroteabook.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}