Customer Reviews

The Silents

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When I heard Charlotte Abrams wrote the silents, I had to get it immediately. I doubt she would remember me, but we went to Tuley High School at the same time. Reading the book for me was like a travel trough the past. The memories of the school. the park, the neighborhood, and the simpler times were wonderful. But I recommend the book for the story of love and affection it tells. A beautiful tale of the struggles of deaf parents attempting to raise their children in what was for them a silent world. And while they felt like outsiders their children lovingly guided them through the speaking world. As you read this well written book be prepared to be spellbound and also to shed a few tears.

This book tells me that deaf and mute people live lives that are very similar to hearing and speaking parents. The children of parents with handicaps have more responsibility. This book tells about the love and care the parents give to their children and the love and care the children return to their mother and father.

The author, Charlotte, takes us through her childhood in depression era Chicago to living in Los Angeles with children of her own. What makes her story unique is that her parents were deaf. And we are graciously allowed into a world which is foreign to most. A world where there are no dogs barking, no music and no voices. It's a touching, inspiring, story full of rich memorable characters that stay with you long after you've turned the last page. After finishing "The Silents," I thought to myself, what a lucky woman Ms. Abrams must be to have had parents that were so utterly and indisputably in love. I look forward to reading more from this author and I hope "The Silents" receives the recognition it so greatly deserves.

Althoug I am a little biased about this book (the author is my mother) I felt it was a heart warming story of growing up the hearing child of deaf parents. The warmth and humanity of the family described is one that will touch the hearts of all people. If you are deaf or in any other way disabled, or you know someone who is, you should read this book. It is amazing to read about a family in the 20's and 30's of this century facing the hardships of deafness, raising two children and still being able to have a "normal" life. My grandparents, the topic of this book, were two of the most wonderful people you could ever meet and I would like to invite everyone out there to meet them in this book. Thanks.