Customer Reviews

WORLD OF SILENCE

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The story of an 18th century century plains indian who is deaf and mute. It is rich in realism and characterization, but it does not quite escape the feeling of a dime novel.

This is another of Coldsmith's books that deal with The People. Speaks-Not is a normal child then he is hit with a sickness that leaves him unable to speak or hear. He gets by using hand signs and reading lips.He goes through so much trouble early in the book and also a part of the last of the book. The middle part is good for him. He is renamed Hunts-Alone because he cannot hear others and has to hunt by himself. He is left alone with is Granddaughter, South Wind, and raises her by himself. The book is very good. It is about the people of that time and the hardships they faced. I felt sorry for him and the Granddaughter. The story as told makes you see the things that are going on, in your mind. A book that will make you sad and also make you glad in places. If you like books about the early, very early, tribes you will like this.

It's fairly well-known that the Plains Indians used a universal sign language to communicate among tribes that spoke different languages. Have you ever wondered if that sign language could have also been used to talk to deaf people? This is that book.

Set in an imaginary Great Plains tribe after the introduction of the horse but before the great western migration of white people, this book is part of a much longer series, but you don't have to read the others. This one stands on its own just fine. Coldsmith uses an odd sort of prose style to imitate the way their language works, at first I found it a bit annoying but eventually I got used to it, and even found it beautiful, if excessively plain.

The synopsis above is from the back cover, but I feel it doesn't really capture the feel of the book at all, and it gives away most of the plot. The book is divided into three chapters. The first, Speaks-not, is about how the main character loses his hearing as an infant, and covers his childhood. The second, Hunts-Alone, is about his adolescence, and courtship with his childhood sweetheart, Far Dove. I liked this middle chapter the best--their romance is quite sweet. The last, South Wind, is really about his grand-daughter, whom he is forced to raise alone (for reasons I won't reveal), and it's all told from her perspective. The plot summary above makes it seem like Speaks-not is shunned by his tribe because of his deafness, but he isn't, quite the opposite, he has a very successful life as a fully-functioning member of the tribe. The last bit about the "uncertain future" is a bit misleading as well--I thought it meant the white men were coming, but that's not what happens. The main conflict in the third chapter is how South Wind, having been raised alone, can re-integrate with her tribe.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, very well-researched and detailed, and a positive, realistic portrayal of deafness. It even inspired me to do some research online about the Plains Indians sign language, and all the signs Coldsmith describes in detail are authentic, as far as I can tell. This is an original and imaginative novel, recommended.

FOR THOSE WHO READ FOR ENTERTAINMENT THIS IS A BOOK FOR YOU FOR THOSE WHO READ TO LEARN THIS IS A BOOK FOR YOU FOR THOSE WHO READ JUST TO READ...DITTO I'M READING IT FOR THE FOURTH TIME WE LEARN OF THE CARING NATURE THAT NATIVE AMERICANS HAD FOR THEIR OWN KIND AS WELL AS OTHERS WE CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE HARDSHIPS ENDURED BY "THE PEOPLE" AND THE COURAGE THAT WAS NEEDED TO SURVIVE IF SOCIETY WAS LIKE IT WAS FOR "THE PEOPLE" WHAT A PLACE TO BE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE LIVED WITH THE PEOPLE IN DR. COLDSMITH'S NOVELS