The Silence Between Us

Gervais, Alison. The Silence Between Us. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9780310766162. Available at FIC GER on the library shelves.

Maya is stressed. She has just moved across the country for her mother's new job. She's left her best friend behind. She's going to a new school mid year, sure to be the center of attention for a few days. And Maya is deaf, and this will be her first time in a "normal" high school. Since she became deaf when she was young, all of her schooling has been done in a non-hearing school. Returning to a school where people can hear makes her nervous.

At her new school, Maya is provided a sign language assistant that will help her translate what is being said. Maya is pretty good at reading lips, and because she could hear when she was a child, she speaks normally. Her classmates are therefore surprised she can't hear, and constantly forget. Beau Watson, president of the class and do-gooder extraordinaire, goes out of his way to make Maya feel welcome. She chalks it up to him being eager to burnish his credential, hey I helped a deaf girl college application, but when Beau begins learning American Sign Language and practice it with her, she notices that maybe Beau really is interested in her after all.

Being deaf brings on challenges, such as finding employment and navigating the treacherous waters of a high school social scene, but Maya is ready to confront and defy all expectations!

Maya and Beau are accurately portrayed and are often awkward with each other. The supporting cast of high schoolers is well integrated, while Maya's mother and the relationship between the two showcase a supportive parent who nevertheless does not want her daughter to pity herself or her circumstances. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate hearing the world from the perspective of someone who can't.