Sounds of Silence

Phillip Tomasso

Nov 2013 · BRP Publishing Group

About this ebook

 Twelve-year-old Marco Lippa is the star pitcher for his Little League baseball team and does his best to lead his team to victory against their cross-town rivals, reveling in the cheering and applause. After one particular game, he becomes sick and is rushed to the hospital. Treated for meningococcal disease, Marco wakes up to discover that he is deaf—and all of his dreams seem to crumble.

Now Marco must come to terms with living in a silent world—and the grief, anger, and loss that seem to go with it. He is enrolled at the state boarding school for the deaf, leaving behind his comfortable home and his family and friends while he re-learns how to communicate and function without his hearing.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, he quickly discovers that being deaf does not exempt him from the “normal” anxieties he faced at home—bullies, girls, and fitting in. Will he ever find his way back to his dreams?

About the author

“This inspirational novel beautifully represents how family support, the resilience of youth, and the universal languages of love and friendship can help overcome any obstacle. Mr. Tomasso does a superb job of illustrating the beauty of two cultures and how we are all better by embracing diversity.”—Harold Mowl, Jr.. PhD, Superintendent, Rochester School for the Deaf

“A positive story about meeting a special life challenge.”—Jeanne Griffin, Deaf Friends International

“This heartwarming coming-of-age story will resonate with many deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as their hearing families and friends. It is both a realistic and an upbeat account of how one young man confronts his sudden deafness and in doing so, realizes that it need not keep him from attaining his dreams.”—I. King Jordan, President, Gallaudet University