Voyage to the Island [Hardcover]

Raija Nieminen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book is a voyage into the world of deafness. Nieminen, a deaf woman, writes of her two-year sojourn in St. Lucia, an island in the Caribbean. She had left Finland with her husband, who was taking a new job. Gradually she began to explore and understand the island and its people. Most importantly, she contributed to the education of deaf children in St. Lucia and in so doing learned more about her own deafness. This book has much to say about the deaf, about communication, teaching, culture shock, and the meaning of one's roots. The culture of St. Lucia is vividly portrayed. Nieminen's style is straightforward, yet marked by an occasional brilliance in analogies that merge the many "voyages" together. Like Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan before her, Nieminen explores language and opens minds. This deserves wide circulation among adult as well as YA readers.
- Nancy E. Zuwiyya, Bingham ton City Sch. Dist., N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Finnish

Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Gallaudet University Press (January 3, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930323629
• ISBN-13: 978-0930323622
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,637,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > More Languages > Finnish

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, December 7, 1999

By 

christine freeland (seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voyage to the Island (Hardcover)

This is the true story of a late-deafened woman, her hearing husband and two sons who move from Finland to the Carribean for two years. The book reads a bit like a diary; with day to day humor and struggle of being in a new culture, trying to figure things out, and feeling isolated from the deaf community and family back home. That's when Raija meets the American Peace Corps volunteer and his newly opened deaf school. She teaches children (age 12-16) their first language, and eventually takes one child into her home. This book is an interesting look at language aquisition, and also the power of community. Anyway, it's just a light and enjoyable read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Voyage to the Island, July 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Voyage to the Island (Hardcover)

I decided to buy this book because I have family that still lives in St. Lucia. The book actually speaks about them. I found it to be enjoyable reading and very enlightening. The pictures are informative but nothing like a "voyage to the island" itself. It can be a bit slow but definitely a good book to read at least once. Hope you enjoy.