Deafening

Throughout my disease, I learned I would become deaf. I am indeed deaf. I found it hard to find any books with deaf characters. I asked people and looked on the internet and seems there really is not any to be found. When I found this book at my local library at their fill a bag for five dollars I was excited. When I read the story's inspiration was the authors deaf grandmother, I was even more excited. 

The hero, became deaf after a bout with scarlet fever. Her family tries to help but as so often does not, she feels isolated and alone.Her saving grace is her grandmother, Mamo. When it finally becomes clear she can not thrive in the world of the hearing, her parents finally send her to a deaf school and things change. The school teaches her to read and write, and how to communicate. I am hoping thru sign language. 

After graduation, she stays on and works at the school. She meets a man and they begin a friendship that becomes more. As it takes place during WWI. He is sent to war. They write letters back and forth to keep their love going. 

Hoping I will like it, and not disappointed like I did with "All the Light We Cannot See"

review

The story takes place in Ontario, Canada, in the time before and during the WWI. The O'Neil family owns and runs a hotel in the town of Deseronto. The book follow Grania O'Neil who became deaf at a very young age because of scarlet fever.

When I found this book, I wondered if it would be true to the deaf and deaf culture. I am pleased to say it did. She did an excellent job with describing signs that I knew the signs. Quiet, sit, potato, etc. What most hearing people don't know is sign language is NOT universal. Also very few hearing people, do not know that our sign language (ASL) is derived from the French, so that could explain why I knew the signs. One of which is definitely a deaf bing. I was also impressed she touched on A.G. Bell and his need to change deaf people, believing deaf is better off using only oral method, and his eugenics, believing deaf should not marry deaf, deaf should not marry hearing. Nor should they have children. Deaf almost lost a a beautiful language because of him. He was no friend to the deaf, even though he was married to a deaf woman and his mother was deaf. 

I also loved how she drew the family together. especially the two sisters, and Mamo. With Mamo's help she learns oral method and does well. Mamo buys a book, Sunday book and helps Grania learn words and sounds. Grania begs her sister often to yell in her ear what she thinks she should know. The family is a tight knit family and I loved reading about her adventures, going to Bompa's house, school, and going into town. The way the author describes how Grania felt, and how people treated her seems pretty spot on. 

When the parents finally send her to a deaf school, it takes some time but she finally learns sign language and oral method. She excels in both. She also realizes that the world is different in the land called school then the hearing world. Gania stay after graduation to work and help the school. 

Then she meets Jim, get's married, and he is sent to war. It is WWI. I was not to fond of the war scenes, but it was what was happening in that time frame. We see how Grania and her family and well as Jim handles the war.

Over all I liked the book. It kept me interested. Frances Itani did a great job with the who aspect of war, family and deaf. I enjoyed the characters. There was no big love scenes with Jim and Grania as the were courting, as in that time people usually didn't, especially during the war time. I think it's worth the read.

8/10