Deaf Awareness Week – Read Dark Pines
This week is Deaf Awareness Week. Something we should talk about more and certainly be more aware of since it affects so many people – not just those who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves but their families, friends and colleagues.
There’s a book that really encapsulate this well – the world of silence someone is caught in when deaf and how they struggle and cope to live in a hearing world, full of noise,music and chatter.
Dark Pines Set in Sweden
A great newness to this novel is the man character who is deaf and uses hearing aids. Again, more claustrophobia but this was more than that – it was a novel with a deaf character and the struggles she has on a daily basis at the forefront of the novel.
The story is set in the remote forests of Sweden – claustrophobic enough – but imagine if you’re deaf and trying to navigate the area whilst working as a journalist at the same time? Not easy…
This novel reveals so much about a condition you may not even have thought of:
Tuva explains what it’s like being deaf (caused by meningitis)
“ It’s like being you but not being able to hear. It’s no big deal I’ve been deaf since I was a kid
Tuva has memories of birds singing and other noises which make her smile but the memory of kids saying that they did’t have time to repeat a story she’s missed parts of, that they’d tell her later. Later never came but the memory and hurt remained.
Tuva is pleased when she doesn’t have to explain that she’s deaf or apologise for someone’s embarrassment:
“ And suddenly I like her for not asking me about my deafness or my hearing aids.”
Dark Pines Set in Sweden
The Dark Pines of a Swedish Wood
But then there’s the well meaning but rude comments such as:
You talk really well for a deaf person”. She says this with kindness but my gut tightening anyway. It’s like saying to a man with a prosthetic leg, “Hey, you walk pretty well for a cripple.” It’s not a compliment, it’s just not.”
Dark Pines Set in Sweden
The atmosphere
The atmosphere throughout is foreboding and claustrophobic, Tula’s deafness adds to the sense of isolation. The woods are dark and brooding. Vulnerability darkens the atmosphere even further. Tula carries batteries for her hearing aids and they could run out at any moment. The beeps telling her when that is about to happen
Tuva
The best thing about this novel however is that it’s not about a deaf woman. It’s a murder mystery set in Sweden with a deaf protagonist. The focus is very much on the story and atmosphere, the murder mystery and the history of the small community where the story takes place. The very community where lies grow, secrets hide and where outsiders are not welcome. Where people only hear what they want to hear. You don’t have to be deaf to not listen or hear.
A brilliant novel in its own right but with a character I immediately loved for her strength, sheer determination and a novel which pulled me into its claustrophobic heart. A great character is a great character. Tuva deserves to be heard.
Dark Pines Set in Sweden
