Deafening: A Novel Audiobook

" Frances Itani came to our bookclub when we were discussing this. She was lovely. One of our bookclub members had been raised by a deaf mom, so she had a lot of insight into the book. "

" Set in WWI Canada about a young girl growing up deaf in a hearing family, and marrying a hearing man who goes off to fight in WWI. I felt the book tried to cover way to much and by doing only skimmed over most of what could be a great book. "

" A very good to excellent story of World War I. "

" I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting. "

" This book was very, very good. I can not believe I had it sitting on my shelf for two years! I wonder what other gems are hidden there?! :-) "

" Wonderful, beautifully written novel. "

" I quickly fell to skimming the pages after the first couple of chapters; in the end, I didn't feel as though I missed anything by doing so. I can't say I disliked Itani's writing style, it felt very tranquil like walking through a gallery of Seurat paintings, but everything in the story felt the same at the end as it did in the beginning; not enough detail to sustain my attention for an entire novel. I kept thinking, "I'd enjoy her writing much more in short-story form; in a full length novel it goes from tranquil to simply boring." It turns out that she has won awards for her short stories and features for CBC radio, and is also a poet. That's probably why her first novel seems sparse. "

" I liked this book, however it felt like it was split into two halfs. Firstly dealing with a child growing up deaf, then morphing into the first world war. The parts didnt connect very well but I liked it. "

" It's been a long time since I've been disappointed when a book came to its end... This is one of those books. I was so absorbed by the story that when it ended, I was left wishing it was longer because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters and their stories. I highly recommend this book! "

" Very engaging story about a child who loses her hearing due to a bout with scarlet fever at age 5 around the turn of the last century in Canada. Highly recommend. Gave my copy to a friend. "

" A Young girl becomes deaf from Scarlet fever. Years later, in the trenches of France in WWI, her young, hearing, husband is also deafened. "

" Boring. Stopped halfway through and gave it away. "

" I really liked this book. "

" This book was well-written, but I did not care for the subject matter at all. I wanted to skip the sections about the war, and just read the fascinating sections on language, sign language and how deaf people create their world. I'm not saying this is a bad book; it just didn't satisfy me. "

" A wonderful story about a young deaf girl. It makes you understand a little better how deaf people navigate in the world. She grows up and meets a guy who becomes a medic in the 1st world war. Then you get a glimpse of what it was like in the war on the front lines. Wonderful book. "

" Half about going deaf and half the story of small town Ontario during WWII. Ok, but if you have something else to read I'd pass. "

" A serene book about what is about to be deaf ...in more ways than one. I liked especially the insights about how is to live in a silent world but this novel tells also about the horrors and injustices of war. "

" This book sucked. Do not read this book to learn about deaf culture AT ALL! Completely unrealistic. And boring as hell. "

" I had to recommend this book to all my friends - something I don't often do. A fabulous read and one you won't regret. "

" I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting. "

" Aside from the numerous sections that seem to repeat on themselves the story is very well done, the charcters are heartwarming and well written. "

" I really enjoyed this book. It gave me an entirely new perspectives on language and deafness. I found myself mulling over topics in this book frequently. One of the better books I have read in a while. "

" I am loving this book! "

" I had to recommend this book to all my friends - something I don't often do. A fabulous read and one you won't regret. "

" I really enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting to see life from the perspective of a deaf person. I really felt like I was living it with her. I'd recommend it. "

" This book was slow for me in the beginning, yet interesting, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of it. Insights into the world of deaf people and war that I've never heard or read before. "

" I liked this book, however it felt like it was split into two halfs. Firstly dealing with a child growing up deaf, then morphing into the first world war. The parts didnt connect very well but I liked it. "

" Neat look into the life of a girl born deaf, and is the only one in her town. Goes through childhood, schooling, and beyond, very good read "

" Loved it - a really beautiful book. "

" I really liked this book except for near the end when Grania almost died. I thought that was a little too much and it just made me mad. "

" A very good to excellent story of World War I. "