THE RAGING QUIET.

The second book to be read and reviewed for .....

You can see the review of my first book, Weirdo. Mosher. Freak: If Only They'd Stopped At Name Calling by Catherine Smyth HERE.

THE RAGING QUIET by SHERRYL JORDAN.

Warning .... The book synopsis below may contain, if not exactly spoilers, too much information and I've therefore left it up to the individual whether or not they wish to hi-light it or not.

Marnie and Raver are both outsiders. Each is set apart from the community around them: Marnie because she is a newcomer, having been brought to the seaside village by her new - and much older - husband; and Raver because he is the village lunatic.

The distrust surrounding Marnie increases when her husband suddenly dies. Her subsequent isolation pushes her towards Raver - and an important discovery: the villagers have mistaken his deafness for madness.

The two outsiders soon develop a rudimentary sign language. But their precious new friendship is cut short when the villagers misconstrue their strange, private communication, and put Marnie on trial for witchcraft ....
... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): The afternoon Marnie came to Torcurra, the villagers were whipping the devils out of a mad boy.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 171): "I wonder what she did wrong," said Marnie, "to be tried as a witch and burned."
"Probably little, beyond being different," said the priest. "But being different is a terrible crime to be guilty of."

MY THOUGHTS: Not just my favourite read so far this year but positively one of the most thought provoking and beautiful stories that I have ever read.

A tale of what it is to be different, superstition, bigotry and ignorance, The Raging Quiet is a tender and moving story of friendship, love and determination that, whilst set in a time when 'witch' was an accusation thrown at anyone deemed to be other than the norm, is still as relevant today as it ever was.

A wonderfully memorising and beautifully descriptive novel full of truly remarkable characters, as well as sharing in the joys and heartbreak of Marnie and Raver/Raven, and feeling the heart wrenching decisions faced by Father Brannan, I could even empathise with the superstitious and fearful nature of the none too friendly villagers.

A real treat and not just for lovers of historical fiction, though written with young adults in mind I'm sure this is a story that will stick in my mind for a long time.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Ex-library stock, without a doubt one for the shelves.

Disclaimer #1 :Removal of any part of this post without my express consent is considered copyright infringement. This post was created by and for Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper. If you are reading this post on any other site please contact the original blog owner/reviewer.