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mynamesjess 's review for:
Reverend of Silence
by Pamela Sparkman
Strength isn’t about feeling strong. Strength is feeling weak and standing up anyway.
While we have much in the way of assistance for blind people nowadays, this wasn’t the case for people in the early 1800s. Deaf people were treated as if they had an affliction from God, as if God had cursed their families, and they were tormented.
The cruelty of some people knew no bounds. At times entire families were not welcome in church or the town because it was believed they would spread the curse. Some were even run out of town by the very people who they grew up with and loved.
Reverend of Silence tells the story of a family who didn’t abide by the preconceived notions surrounding the deaf. This very same family changed their entire town and country.
When Sam Bourke moved to Bridgeport with his family, he didn’t expect a quiet girl to break down the expectations placed on him for being a pastor’s son. But that’s exactly what happened.
He didn’t expect this bizarre, shy, and easily frightened girl—or so he thought—to be deaf. But she was.
He didn’t expect to fall so hard, so fast. But he did.
Lucy Hallison changed everything about Sam just by existing. When the sky was grey, her smile made the day okay.
Sam’s friendship extended beyond Lucy to her brother, Noah, then to their family, the Hallisons. The Bourke’s and the Hallisons’ eventually became inseparable, despite the cruel murmurings and threats from the townsfolk.
One man, in particular, wished to make life very hard for the Hallisons and had done so for many years, until Reverend Bourke stepped up in an attempt to silence him.
However, this man doesn’t like to be silenced. He also doesn’t like getting his own way.
So, while Lucy is afforded the opportunity to attend The American Asylum at Hartford for the Deaf, at the expense of leaving everyone she loves hours behind her, that very man plots his revenge.
After a terrible beating leaves Sam bedridden and broken, the town are in shock. Lucy leaves the school to tend to her Sam but is it too late?
This is a heart-warming tale of reverence, friendship, love, trust, and true justice.
Reverend of Silence did not reach 5 stars for a couple of reasons. While the antagonist is very cruel and well-written, I felt he lacked power. When he was in the scene, his presence was foreboding, but when he wasn’t, I forgot he even existed. This is most likely due to the fact that Pamela’s writing is so poetic, and the immediate story takes your attention.
The other reason for the 4-star rating is that I found it hard to believe that no one else treated Lucy like she mattered beyond her brother and mother. I might be biased here because Lucy is such a gorgeous character and I couldn’t imagine anyone treating her with anything other than love, but not even one of the other children in town were kind to her. They all ignored her or treated her with contempt. So did the adults. However, this too could be due to my ignorance of the time.
The downfalls of the story are minimal because Pamela writes from her heart. Her passion and love not only for her books but also for her characters chine through.
But while the love is obvious, Pamela gives her characters flaws. Like real people, they are never perfect. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with details as they would be spoilers, so you’ll have to read the book to find out!
Noah is my favourite character. He is honest, positive, loyal, and loving. This man could melt the heart of any scorned woman. His story is a sad one, but even though Lucy attached herself to him, he doesn’t see her as a burden like a lesser person might. He adores his sister and comes to adore Sam very soon after meeting him. When Sam is attacked, it is Noah that seeks information and revenge. Noah is always in the background doing what he can to help others.
My next favourite character is Jasper, Lucy and Noah’s father. This man is incredibly heart-warming and laden with guilt. He never knew how to be around Lucy, so he ignored her. But he loved her no less than anyone else, he just didn’t know how to show her. Despite the rough start, their growing relationship alone is worth reading Reverend of Silence for.
Pamela’s characters are passionate, skew the idea of right and wrong, teach others morals while leaning their own, and affect you in ways you never thought possible.
The other notable mention is Pamela’s attention to detail. Pamela researches everything and it shows. She is committed to bringing her readers the best story possible. Everything from the clothes the characters wore to the slang they use to the time-appropriate wording make you think you’ve been sucked into a time machine and spat out in Bridgeport in the 1800s.
If you enjoy carefully constructed characters, a strong plot, unforgettable characters, and a poetic writing style, Reverend of Silence is for you! This book releases on the 14th of January 2020, so don’t forget to preorder today!
Pamela's website
While we have much in the way of assistance for blind people nowadays, this wasn’t the case for people in the early 1800s. Deaf people were treated as if they had an affliction from God, as if God had cursed their families, and they were tormented.
The cruelty of some people knew no bounds. At times entire families were not welcome in church or the town because it was believed they would spread the curse. Some were even run out of town by the very people who they grew up with and loved.
Reverend of Silence tells the story of a family who didn’t abide by the preconceived notions surrounding the deaf. This very same family changed their entire town and country.
When Sam Bourke moved to Bridgeport with his family, he didn’t expect a quiet girl to break down the expectations placed on him for being a pastor’s son. But that’s exactly what happened.
He didn’t expect this bizarre, shy, and easily frightened girl—or so he thought—to be deaf. But she was.
He didn’t expect to fall so hard, so fast. But he did.
Lucy Hallison changed everything about Sam just by existing. When the sky was grey, her smile made the day okay.
Sam’s friendship extended beyond Lucy to her brother, Noah, then to their family, the Hallisons. The Bourke’s and the Hallisons’ eventually became inseparable, despite the cruel murmurings and threats from the townsfolk.
One man, in particular, wished to make life very hard for the Hallisons and had done so for many years, until Reverend Bourke stepped up in an attempt to silence him.
However, this man doesn’t like to be silenced. He also doesn’t like getting his own way.
So, while Lucy is afforded the opportunity to attend The American Asylum at Hartford for the Deaf, at the expense of leaving everyone she loves hours behind her, that very man plots his revenge.
After a terrible beating leaves Sam bedridden and broken, the town are in shock. Lucy leaves the school to tend to her Sam but is it too late?
This is a heart-warming tale of reverence, friendship, love, trust, and true justice.
Reverend of Silence did not reach 5 stars for a couple of reasons. While the antagonist is very cruel and well-written, I felt he lacked power. When he was in the scene, his presence was foreboding, but when he wasn’t, I forgot he even existed. This is most likely due to the fact that Pamela’s writing is so poetic, and the immediate story takes your attention.
The other reason for the 4-star rating is that I found it hard to believe that no one else treated Lucy like she mattered beyond her brother and mother. I might be biased here because Lucy is such a gorgeous character and I couldn’t imagine anyone treating her with anything other than love, but not even one of the other children in town were kind to her. They all ignored her or treated her with contempt. So did the adults. However, this too could be due to my ignorance of the time.
The downfalls of the story are minimal because Pamela writes from her heart. Her passion and love not only for her books but also for her characters chine through.
But while the love is obvious, Pamela gives her characters flaws. Like real people, they are never perfect. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with details as they would be spoilers, so you’ll have to read the book to find out!
Noah is my favourite character. He is honest, positive, loyal, and loving. This man could melt the heart of any scorned woman. His story is a sad one, but even though Lucy attached herself to him, he doesn’t see her as a burden like a lesser person might. He adores his sister and comes to adore Sam very soon after meeting him. When Sam is attacked, it is Noah that seeks information and revenge. Noah is always in the background doing what he can to help others.
My next favourite character is Jasper, Lucy and Noah’s father. This man is incredibly heart-warming and laden with guilt. He never knew how to be around Lucy, so he ignored her. But he loved her no less than anyone else, he just didn’t know how to show her. Despite the rough start, their growing relationship alone is worth reading Reverend of Silence for.
Pamela’s characters are passionate, skew the idea of right and wrong, teach others morals while leaning their own, and affect you in ways you never thought possible.
The other notable mention is Pamela’s attention to detail. Pamela researches everything and it shows. She is committed to bringing her readers the best story possible. Everything from the clothes the characters wore to the slang they use to the time-appropriate wording make you think you’ve been sucked into a time machine and spat out in Bridgeport in the 1800s.
If you enjoy carefully constructed characters, a strong plot, unforgettable characters, and a poetic writing style, Reverend of Silence is for you! This book releases on the 14th of January 2020, so don’t forget to preorder today!
Pamela's website