Deaf Anthology # 120: "Deafening"

Veterans Day is here. The holiday was originally Armistic Day to honored those who serve in the first World War. Eisenhower changed it to Veterans Day during his administration. There is a new novel out, "Deafening" from a Canadian writer, Frances Itani, about a Deaf woman on the home front, whose husband went off to to war in Europe.

Our bookworm is taking a shot at this novel, here is his reviews.

Grania O'Neil lost her hearing at age five from scarlet. Her mother, Agnes, felt guilty of causing her deafness, praying for a (sounds familiar) miracle. Grania also have a younger brother, Patrick and an older sister, Tressa.It was Grania's grandmother, Mamo, that recommended that she be placed at the Ontario Institution for the Deaf where she learn ASL. After graduation, she work at the school hospital where she met her future husband, Jim, a hearing man. Grania depends on her lipreading skills, but why don't he learn sign language to make communication.

Jim enlisted and went of to the trenches of Europe. We can see life on the homefront during the first world war as Grania felt a sense of loneliness, writing back and forth during the two years. The novel is available on Amazon. On this day, let us remember those who are still in harm's way in both Afghanistan and Iraq and hope that Obama will be able to bring them home soon, so that we can live in peace.

Revised 11/10/08

This is Smokey, stay tuned for the next episode of Deaf Anthology. Good night, Deaf America!