Customer Reviews

Unspeakable: The Story of Junius Wilson (Caravan Book)

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I was amazed what a page-turner this was, for a story so carefully documented. Even so I found myself frequently in the middle of a deep muse pondering what his story teaches us about communication, isolation and contingency, not to mention injustice stemming from racism and patriarchal attitudes toward the minority who communicate without speech. I noticed I was also learning a surprising amount about broader social and historical movements (American, southern, racial, psychiatric, deaf cultural, and more), without ever feeling bogged down. Truly impressive.

i happpened to move to wilmington, n.c just when this story was coming to light in the press. i was gripped by the story and read every article that came out in follow up. when this book came out i had to have it.
to find out a deaf man was treated this way for a crime he did not commit is just.....well uspeakable.
the begining starts with a nice history of area and people. a lot of the begining is spectulaion and dead on at that. no one will ever know what junius' thoughts were in those early years. the story becomes more gripping when the facts start to arrive, via medical reports and staff and friends. it is truly a heartbreaking read. it still haunts me.
i recommend to everyone. the book is a nice piece of historical racial record. schools should add this to their curriculum.

Burch and Joyner have produced a wonderful example of what historical research can teach us. Mr. Wilson's story is heartbreaking but treated with respect and a gentle touch by this authors. The horrors experienced by this man speak for themselves and artfully told by these researchers and writers. This is a book that will appeal to many for many different reasons and leave all shaken. Perhaps it will also inspire others to help make the future brighter for others. I can think of no better use of historical facts than to improve the future.

I learned much about the social movements that I've long found fascinating (reconstruction, Jim Crow South, the KKK), have been a part of (mental health, deinstitutionalization, disability rights & ADA) or been close to (deaf culture). How inspired of the authors to recognize that this one man's life story could illustrate so much modern American social history. I was profoundly moved by the suffering, silent dignity and enduring humanity of Junius Wilson. This is an elegant, revealing and vivid story.

It's a Southern horror story, and a courtroom drama, and an exploration of language and isolation, and a biography of an ordinary man caught in a senseless system. And it's all true. And it's frightening, and it's fascinating. It's the twentieth century US, through one man's story.

This remarkable book tells the true story of a deaf man who was wrongfully imprisoned for most of his life.
It is a must read for anyone interested in social justice. It also provides insights into the challenges faced by members of the deaf community that are insightful and important.