mehastings
Active Member
I don't know that I would have picked this book up if a co-worker hadn't given it to me, but I'm glad that I did. It was perfect reading for a few hot summer afternoons.
The Sound of Us tells the story of Alice Marlowe a single forty something sign language interpreter. Alice has never been married and has just recently lost her twin brother. She is an "alone type" person, and believes that she always will be. This suddenly changes when a late night wrong number call leads Alice to Larissa, a six year old girl of mixed racial background whose mother has left her alone in their apartment. Willis writes about Alice's efforts to become Larissa's foster parent, the trials she goes through once she obtains custody of Larissa, who has stopped speaking, and the continuously evolving relationship she has with Michelle, Larissa's mother. Alice believes she is saving Larissa from a neglectful mother, but it is immediately apparent to the reader that the story is really about Larissa saving Alice from her own loneliness.
The plot was good, and Willis certainly did her research when it comes to child welfare and American Sign Language, two major aspects of the story. Her characters were well developed and hold the reader's interest. The writing itself won't win any awards, but is clean and easy to follow. This is a "buy it in paperback" kind of book that I'd suggest to anyone who doesn't mind an easy to read book and is looking for a good story.
The Sound of Us tells the story of Alice Marlowe a single forty something sign language interpreter. Alice has never been married and has just recently lost her twin brother. She is an "alone type" person, and believes that she always will be. This suddenly changes when a late night wrong number call leads Alice to Larissa, a six year old girl of mixed racial background whose mother has left her alone in their apartment. Willis writes about Alice's efforts to become Larissa's foster parent, the trials she goes through once she obtains custody of Larissa, who has stopped speaking, and the continuously evolving relationship she has with Michelle, Larissa's mother. Alice believes she is saving Larissa from a neglectful mother, but it is immediately apparent to the reader that the story is really about Larissa saving Alice from her own loneliness.
The plot was good, and Willis certainly did her research when it comes to child welfare and American Sign Language, two major aspects of the story. Her characters were well developed and hold the reader's interest. The writing itself won't win any awards, but is clean and easy to follow. This is a "buy it in paperback" kind of book that I'd suggest to anyone who doesn't mind an easy to read book and is looking for a good story.