Deafening

A great novel! This book, by Francis Itani, revolves around the world of a girl/woman who as acquired deafness through childhood illness. The setting is initially in Ontario, Canada in the late 1800's and then eventually alternating between Ontario and the European theater of World War I. I must admit I had some difficultly getting into this work, but I persevered and I'm glad I did, because this book is truly a magnificent read. Once committed, I could barely stand to put the book down. As with all great books, what makes this book special, is the quality of the writing. The prose just seemed to flow effortlessly off the pages as time melted away. You learn things about deafness, quietness and darkness that you never really noticed before; you begin to appreciate what people without hearing have to endure to get through an hour, a day or a lifetime. There were a couple of occasions in this book where I was taken aback with a new revelation regarding deafness; where I would just let this book slip to my lap and think about what I'd just read. There are parts in this book that are not for the faint of heart; some of the description of the trench warfare in France and Belgium are very graphic and disturbing. (but, most likely, accurate) All in all, a story that is quietly beautiful and at the same time beautifully sad. Really, one of my favorite books. If I had to compare it to another book for quality, beauty and heartrending appeal, then I'd pick Charles Frazier's " Cold Mountain". Both books have that intangible timeless aura to them that separate them from their peers. Highly recommended!

A beautiful book. So wonderfully written that savoring the words was a joy, never mind the sensitive yet powerful story. Though the topics -- deafness, World War One -- suggest a very grim work, it ends up being a powerful affirmation of life. This book deserves to be much more widely known than it is; it's an excellent example of how even good books deserve ample promotion, as I think that it's a lot better than some major recent best-sellers. I was pleased to see in a bookstore recently that it's won an award.

This is a wonderful first novel about sound, silence, deafness, communication and love. Grania is a young girl who loses her hearing at the age of five. Her guilt-ridden mother refuses to accept that she is deaf and resists adapting to reality; only Grania's loving grandmother saves her from a life of illiteracy and loneliness. Grania is taught to read with "The Sunday Book," a precious gift from her grandmother that becomes a metaphor for life's struggles and complications as Grania emerges from childhood, attends school, and meets "Chim," a hearing man who loves her stillness. Just married, Grania must return home to wait while Jim goes to war as a stretcher bearer.Once again, WWI emerges as incredibly pointless and bloody, as men are thrown into the confusion of the European front. Jim experiences the war as a haze of brutal sound. He steels himself to the sight of mutilated men blown apart, but cannot stand the sight of their hands, which of course for him had become the instruments of his personal "language of love" with Grania. Meanwhile at home, a beloved friend from Grania's childhood who became her sister's husband returns home, mute from a horror no one can imagine. Drawing on the foundation of love from her grandmother, the deaf Grania not only coaches him back to speech but heals her sister as well. The end of the novel feels tantalizingly like only the beginning for these wonderful multi-dimensional characters.Itani is a wonderful writer, and manages to convey to those of us who hear what it's like not to be able to--she also shows what we the hearing might be missing! The background on the theories of language and teaching the deaf was fascinating, and Itani must have done some meticulous research. This is a wonderful novel well worth your time.

I picked this book up in a bookstore because it sounded very intriguing and, fortunately, I wasn't disappointed. Itani does a wonderful job of bringing us into the world of the deaf, so much that sometimes after reading this book for long periods I would be surprised to hear noise around me. I was also impressed that there was very little offensive language which is rare in books nowadays. Itani's characters are wonderful, the story is interesting, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a good read.

This is my surprise book of the year. It was a gift, and I didn't quite know what to expect, but it's turned into a real winner.Spanning the years from 1902 till the end of WWI, we follow the life of Grania, a child/woman who became deaf following scarlet fever. From a loving middle-class family, she went to a boarding school for hundreds and hundreds of deaf children, grew into a self-sufficient young woman, became a nurse, and married a hearing man, Jim. He went off to war, as did her childhood friend and brother-in-law, Kenan. Improbably for that Great War, both men returned - but in very different conditions.Divided into several parts, the early chapters are Grania's education, learning to live as a deaf person in the world of the hearing. The next part is Jim's story of his war experience.Then comes Grania's ultimately successful efforts to return the power of speech to her mute and traumatized childhood friend. And finally the resolution of all the stories.This book grows on you. One of the boldest risks author Itani took was to try (successfully) to convey Grania's silent world to readers, and to imitate the understanding of sign language as well as lip reading for those of us unfamiliar with the Deaf World.It's a stunning and powerful book, showing the power of Story to convey love, union, and understanding - and ultimately, joy.