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Ben Jewell has hit a breaking point. His profoundly autistic ten-year-old son, Jonah, has never spoken, and Ben and his wife Emma are struggling to cope. When Ben and Emma fake a separationâa strategic yet ill-advised decision to further Jonahâs case in an upcoming tribunal to determine the future of his educationâfather and son are forced to move in with Georg, Benâs elderly and cantankerous father.
In a small house in north London, three generations of menâone who canât talk; two who wonâtâare thrown together. As Ben confronts single fatherhood, he must battle a string of well-meaning social workers and his own demons to advocate for his son, learning some harsh lessons about accountability from his father along the way. As the tribunal draws near, Jonah, blissful in his innocence, becomes the prism through which all the complicated strands of personal identity, family history, and misunderstanding are untangled, in this âfunny yet heartbreakingâ prize-winning debut (The Independent).
âWhether you think Shtum is a novel about autism or about marriage (itâs both, by the way), you will agree that it is, in the end, a love story infused with wit, charm, and a deep appreciation for the complex beauty of damaged souls.â âJonathan Tropper, New York Times-bestselling author of This is Where I Leave You
âThis is the literary territory of Tony Parsons and Nick Hornby, infused with the Jewish humor of Howard Jacobson and Shalom Auslander . . . an exhilarating roller coaster ride between pathos, comedy and anger.â âThe Guardian
âA remarkable book, at once hilarious, horrifying, and heartbreaking, written with the glum humor only Brits can carry off.â âThe Toronto Star
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
September 1, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781468314717
- File size: 1883 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781468314717
- File size: 2441 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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