Deafening (2003) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters edit see section history

• Grania: Went deaf due to scarlet fever when she was 5 years old.
• Mamo: Grania's grandmother.
• Jim: Grania's husband. Goes away to war to serve as a stretcher bearer (carrying injured soldiers off the battlefields).
• Bernard: One of Grania's brothers.
• Patrick: One of Grania's brothers.
• Tress: Grania's sister
• Kenan: A childhood friend of Grania and Tress. Later Tress's husband.
• Orryn: A childhood friend of Grania, Tress and Kenan.
• Fry: (Real name Freda.) Grania's best friend from the deaf school.
• Colin: Fry's husband. Also deaf.
• Stash: A stretcher bearer with Jim. An animal lover.
• Irish: A stretcher bearer and Jim's best friend during the war.
• Finner: A stretcher bearer in the war.
• Evan: A stretcher bearer in the war.
• Miss Marks: Grania's favourite teacher at the deaf school.
• Mr. Cedric: A teacher at the deaf school.
• Miss Amos: A teacher at the deaf school.
• Miss O'Shaughnessy: A teacher at the deaf school.

Quotes edit see section history

• “Sounds was always more important to the hearing.”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• The terrible thing was that no one at home would ever know. Because what was happening was impossible to be told.

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• He wonders what it would be like to shut his ears to sound—knowing that sound will enter him anyway, through his body.

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• He wanted to tell her how sorry he was that he’d left. He had been so hopeful, so filled with desire to help in the war. He wanted to do his bit like everyone else.

  Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers

• If only he did not have to look at the hands. In death they told more than the face; he knew that now. It was the hands that revealed the final argument: clenched in anger, relaxed in acquiescence, seized in a posture of surprise or forgiveness, or taken unawares. Clawing at a chest, or raised unnaturally in a pleading attitude. How can this be? My life, pulling away?

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• The ground throbbed and the air ricocheted around Jim’s head. The gathered sound seemed to enter him through his mouth instead of through his ears. The dead were buried and half-buried; the wounded lying or sitting, staring out in pain.

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• But having someone to share it with is more important than having the food itself—there

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• “I named you because your name means love. I felt the love coming right at me.

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• WAS SHE THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS ANGRY?

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Deseronto, Ontario
• Belleville, Ontario
• Toronto, Ontario
• England
• France

Organizations edit see section history

• The Ontario School for the Deaf: Add a description of this organization.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Frances Itani (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (2004: Caribbean and Canada)
• International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (Finalist, 2005, Short list)
• CBC Canada Reads (Finalist, 2006)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › War
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary