SILENT JOURNEY

Mark Sanderlin captures the locales and accents of Texas, Kansas, and California. Listeners meet Deaf 13-year-old Scott Schroeder as he is shifted, yet again, to another "home" when his dad jets away to work in Japan. Motherless Scott feels imprisoned by his grandmother, who criticizes him often. Sanderlin is most touching when Scott befriends an abandoned dog he names Runt. Soon he is moved again, this time to California to live with his uncle, a pilot. Colorful descriptions of gymnastics and learning to fly a glider enhance the story. Scott's ability to manage his Deafness is inspiring. This is an inclusive and emotive listening experience, despite some predictability and melodrama. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]