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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What does it say about the world when the only person who can communicate their needs and wants cannot speak at all?
Maybe after all it's better to keep Shtum.
Maybe after all it's better to keep Shtum.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such an eye-opening read. It’s the first time I’ve read a book on an autistic child where the main focus is on the parents/carer. The story is very relatable to how this parent dealt with raising their child and their coping mechanisms.
This story follows the narrative of Ben Jewell, living with his eleven-year old autistic son, Jonah. They had to move in with Ben’s father, Georg so Jonah stands a chance to go to a school that can support his needs. Ben and Emma had to pretend to go on a separation in order to increase Jonah’s chances but Ben soon found out that Emma really wanted a separation leaving Ben to cope with Jonah. With everything going on from Ben’s separation, taking care of Jonah, spending time with Georg and the process and funds for Jonah’s school…Ben slowly unravels. How will he pick himself back up again?
Although I don’t fully applaud Ben and Emma’s choices but who are we to judge? Both of them had a hard time coping with Jonah. Emma felt like a failure for not giving birth to a healthy baby and worked herself to the bone thinking that one day Jonah could be normal. Ben, on the other hand is having a hard time accepting how his life is going and turned to alcohol for relief. Despite their shortcomings, one thing for sure is that they both love Jonah very, very much and just wants to give him a fighting chance.
I am sure many parents with special needs children also face similar life choices and burdens. I’ve learnt so much more than I expected from this story. The next time we see a parent struggling with their kids regardless if they are special needs or not, we should show a little more compassion and empathy because just a little can go a long way. A lot of times, we forget that parents are humans too and also need to take a breather every once in a while.
This story follows the narrative of Ben Jewell, living with his eleven-year old autistic son, Jonah. They had to move in with Ben’s father, Georg so Jonah stands a chance to go to a school that can support his needs. Ben and Emma had to pretend to go on a separation in order to increase Jonah’s chances but Ben soon found out that Emma really wanted a separation leaving Ben to cope with Jonah. With everything going on from Ben’s separation, taking care of Jonah, spending time with Georg and the process and funds for Jonah’s school…Ben slowly unravels. How will he pick himself back up again?
Although I don’t fully applaud Ben and Emma’s choices but who are we to judge? Both of them had a hard time coping with Jonah. Emma felt like a failure for not giving birth to a healthy baby and worked herself to the bone thinking that one day Jonah could be normal. Ben, on the other hand is having a hard time accepting how his life is going and turned to alcohol for relief. Despite their shortcomings, one thing for sure is that they both love Jonah very, very much and just wants to give him a fighting chance.
I am sure many parents with special needs children also face similar life choices and burdens. I’ve learnt so much more than I expected from this story. The next time we see a parent struggling with their kids regardless if they are special needs or not, we should show a little more compassion and empathy because just a little can go a long way. A lot of times, we forget that parents are humans too and also need to take a breather every once in a while.
Shtum is a Yiddish word that means silence and this beautiful story is inspired by Jem Lester’s own struggles and triumphs with his autistic son who is trapped in a silence of his own. It is, truly, the most accurate portrayal of what it would be like to parent a profoundly autistic child and a read that many of us can learn a lot from.
In this story, Jonah and his autistic son Ben find themselves under Jonah’s father’s roof to help with the application process for a school for autism that could help Jonah. They don’t have the funds to do it and Ben’s wife encourages a separation in their marriage to help Jonah because being a single parent will lend them favor on the application process and offer more scholarship money.
Residing under one roof with a child who requires 24-hour supervision and a grumpy father isn’t Ben’s idea of a great time and alcohol is Ben’s escape. It is a downward spiral at times and Lester doesn’t let you escape it. The day-to-day grind becomes overwhelming, even as a reader, and it made me REALLY understand more about the challenges that these family’s face every single day.
Yet, as heart wrenching as this read is, it has sparks of dark comedy that had me chuckle out loud many times, particularly with Ben’s father, Georg. This debut novel is raw and unapologetic in the challenges that come with love and sacrifice. I highly recommend this read!
In this story, Jonah and his autistic son Ben find themselves under Jonah’s father’s roof to help with the application process for a school for autism that could help Jonah. They don’t have the funds to do it and Ben’s wife encourages a separation in their marriage to help Jonah because being a single parent will lend them favor on the application process and offer more scholarship money.
Residing under one roof with a child who requires 24-hour supervision and a grumpy father isn’t Ben’s idea of a great time and alcohol is Ben’s escape. It is a downward spiral at times and Lester doesn’t let you escape it. The day-to-day grind becomes overwhelming, even as a reader, and it made me REALLY understand more about the challenges that these family’s face every single day.
Yet, as heart wrenching as this read is, it has sparks of dark comedy that had me chuckle out loud many times, particularly with Ben’s father, Georg. This debut novel is raw and unapologetic in the challenges that come with love and sacrifice. I highly recommend this read!
I started off not loving this book but the character development was great and it was a sad, but realistic and interesting insight into how hard it must be to look after a child like Jonah.
I stumbled upon this book quite by chance and I’m glad I did! I gobbled it up in a little less than a day.
A wonderful book that opens your eyes to living and caring for autistics. read my full review here: https://booklovesreviews.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/finding-truth-without-words-a-review-of-shtum-by-jem-lester/
This book is devastatingly honest - it pulls you in and punches you in the heart and as it does so it acts as a megaphone. There is a movement within the community of those that are affected by the day to day realities of autism - particularly severe autism as portrayed through this book - to 'Shine a light on Autism' so as to try and somehow develop society's poor understanding of this disorder. This book is a shining, screaming beacon that does just that perfectly.
This is a great book - I read all but 30 pages of it in one sitting at which point I hated myself for desperately needing some sleep. The voice of Jonah, silent as he is, shines through his interactions with the people that love him. Ben, his Father, is a flawed protagonist who you cannot fail to hope and pray for as he fights for his son. Georg, his Grandfather, is allusive to his son and full of affection for his grandson - as it turns out, this is his way of protecting both from the way this world may harm them. The way in which their unit works, interacts and loves is heartwarming, realistic and somewhat exasperating. Coupled with this is the difficult and changing opinion the reader has of Jonah's mother Emma as she, too, battles for her son in the only way she can.
Jem Lester has a son who is profoundly autistic and who is the inspiration for this book. This shows - no punches have been pulled in order to try and paint a perfect or a simple picture. The bravery and honesty this must have entailed is admirable.
My cousin is profoundly autistic. I saw him in every page of this book which is due to how honestly this disorder has been depicted. He is lucky - he has a massive family that somehow, following his diagnosis, turned into his battle team. We all have our places, we all instinctively remove danger and we all understand how to communicate with him in his mix of PECS, sign, behaviour and sensory needs. It is a language our family understand and others fail to comprehend. It is for him, and for him alone.
The difficulty, by and large, is that those who do not understand seem to believe that a way must be found for autistic children to communicate with our world. They are so, so wrong and, what this book shows perfectly, in reality what needs to happen is that we need to learn to communicate with each of these children/adults in the way that they need. Autism is frustrating, painful and incredibly loving - autism families adapt and learn from the person they love, you become someone for whom a simple 3 second hand hold is the most incredible thing you will experience all week. Your expectations change and his alters how you see the rest of the world. I think Shtum depicts this perfectly - it shines a light on the day to day, painful, frustrating, hilarious aspects of loving and caring for someone with Autism with clarity, brutal honesty and through a beautifully written story.
It is also great to read a book that focuses on male interactions - this book is not just about the three generations of Jewell men, but also shows their friendships. The love Tom has for Jonah is untainted and beautiful. The love Johnny has for Ben is complicated and settled into a rhythm of saving his friend when he needs it, The love Maurice has for Georg is life long, has endured and been forged by trauma and loss and is a quiet, unassuming treatise on the power of friendship to get you through anything. We see these men fight for - and with - each other and, ultimately, we see how their love for each other turns them into Jonah's personal army, waiting in the wings to ensure he is always safe, stimulated and has a voice.
It is exceptional storytelling, it is a beautiful read, and it contains a powerful message of love and acceptance.
This is a great book - I read all but 30 pages of it in one sitting at which point I hated myself for desperately needing some sleep. The voice of Jonah, silent as he is, shines through his interactions with the people that love him. Ben, his Father, is a flawed protagonist who you cannot fail to hope and pray for as he fights for his son. Georg, his Grandfather, is allusive to his son and full of affection for his grandson - as it turns out, this is his way of protecting both from the way this world may harm them. The way in which their unit works, interacts and loves is heartwarming, realistic and somewhat exasperating. Coupled with this is the difficult and changing opinion the reader has of Jonah's mother Emma as she, too, battles for her son in the only way she can.
Jem Lester has a son who is profoundly autistic and who is the inspiration for this book. This shows - no punches have been pulled in order to try and paint a perfect or a simple picture. The bravery and honesty this must have entailed is admirable.
My cousin is profoundly autistic. I saw him in every page of this book which is due to how honestly this disorder has been depicted. He is lucky - he has a massive family that somehow, following his diagnosis, turned into his battle team. We all have our places, we all instinctively remove danger and we all understand how to communicate with him in his mix of PECS, sign, behaviour and sensory needs. It is a language our family understand and others fail to comprehend. It is for him, and for him alone.
The difficulty, by and large, is that those who do not understand seem to believe that a way must be found for autistic children to communicate with our world. They are so, so wrong and, what this book shows perfectly, in reality what needs to happen is that we need to learn to communicate with each of these children/adults in the way that they need. Autism is frustrating, painful and incredibly loving - autism families adapt and learn from the person they love, you become someone for whom a simple 3 second hand hold is the most incredible thing you will experience all week. Your expectations change and his alters how you see the rest of the world. I think Shtum depicts this perfectly - it shines a light on the day to day, painful, frustrating, hilarious aspects of loving and caring for someone with Autism with clarity, brutal honesty and through a beautifully written story.
It is also great to read a book that focuses on male interactions - this book is not just about the three generations of Jewell men, but also shows their friendships. The love Tom has for Jonah is untainted and beautiful. The love Johnny has for Ben is complicated and settled into a rhythm of saving his friend when he needs it, The love Maurice has for Georg is life long, has endured and been forged by trauma and loss and is a quiet, unassuming treatise on the power of friendship to get you through anything. We see these men fight for - and with - each other and, ultimately, we see how their love for each other turns them into Jonah's personal army, waiting in the wings to ensure he is always safe, stimulated and has a voice.
It is exceptional storytelling, it is a beautiful read, and it contains a powerful message of love and acceptance.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A