Songs for the Deaf
(By Kenneth A. Silver)
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| Author | Kenneth A. Silver |
Coretta Scott King attended an anti-war rally in Toronto in 1971 to introduce the John Doe author of SONGS FOR THE DEAF, which was dedicated to a U.S. government that was hard of hearing. They were about to announce a new challenge to the constitutionality of the Vietnam War. It wasn’t to be. The John Doe speaker, Marine Captain John Hathaway, who had been listed as M.I.A., never lived to go public.
His next stop would have been home. “Yoo-hoo everyone, the M.I.A. is home.” Only now he’s a deserter. Not a coward. Not a drunk. He put himself out there. The perfect plaintiff. The door to the Supremes. The grieving mother of the M.I.A. would have taken him in before he surrendered. Though the unforgiving father had been outraged by his son’s involvement with R.I.T.A. (Resisting Inside the Armed Forces), he was still his father. They would have argued, fought, torn each other’s hair out. So what?
When push came to shove, was he the general first or the father first? Well, which one was he? It was a risk they chose not to take. But why? It was what Marine Brigadier General Calvin Hathaway knew of Operation Native Soil that killed his son. They could not let him go home.
Haunted by a past that reverberated into the future, the Vietnam War remains the war that refuses to go away. I always knew that Songs For the Deaf was my story to write, but it took me years to decide exactly how to write it. Though some of it is bound to shatter your beliefs, and strikes at the heart of our democracy, I am a novelist, not a historian. I wanted it to be more than an exposé.
Hence the heart and soul of Songs For the Deaf resides in the protagonist, Miles Curtin, his complex relationship with the two strong women in his life, and their different, but essential, roles in his path to redemption.
Alice Curtin, his ex: They were past the point of loving. There was a time, though, when “her Miles” could walk on water. No, he didn’t want her love, but he was starving for her respect. It was a hunger that never left him. It was both a burden and a bond.
Valerie Delaney: It always seemed that Valerie came along at just the right moment in Miles’ life. But did she? There were times he had reasons to doubt her. “I don’t want your love without your loyalty.”
Miles Curtin: He made a pretty big splash early on in the game. The world around him was custom made for his fighting spirit. But through no fault of his, chance delivered a punishing blow. He could have bounced back from whatever happened in Canada, but he didn’t. He returned to the States in the ‘80’s. Only now he was a different person. But could that person live with the bombshell discovery that providence left on his doorstop?
In the midst of an agency-mandated archaeological study, it isn’t uncommon for a real estate developer to be saddled with unwelcome finds: “Never like this – one mass burial site. And there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. No beads, jewelry, scraps of clothing, buttons. Not one single article of any kind to help identify them. Valerie, they were clean as a whistle.” Without digging any deeper (hint), Yersinia pestis, the bacillus of bubonic plague, is stable in cadavers for long periods of time, leaving clues and making it possible to detect variations, i.e., the lab strain.
Advance Praise for Songs For the Deaf:
Winner of the 2024 New York Book Festival Award
Winner of the 2024 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Winner of the 2024 Hollywood Book Festival Award
Winner of the 2024 Literary Titan Book Award
Winner of the 2024 International Firebird Book Award
Winner of the 2024 BookFest Book Award
SFTD is a captivating read that is difficult to put down. Kenneth A. Silver masterfully blends historical intrigue with personal transformation, creating a story that is both beautiful and riveting... Miles' transformation is a highlight of the book drawing readers into his journey and making his character unforgettable.
- Winner 2024 Literary Titan Book Award
"Songs for the Deaf is a wonderful story with the unforgettable presence of Miles Curtin, the protagonist. Following his bombshell discovery, the tug-of-war within his soul creates the kind of depth and literary richness that is one of the hallmarks I look for in great writing."
- Mariel Hemingway, Oscar-nominated actress, author, and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway
"With vivid descriptions and expert storytelling, Songs For the Deaf will transport you to another time and place, immersing you in a world of danger, intrigue, and hope. This book is a true testament to one man's talent as an author."
-A Bookwatch Index Selection
"In a bold move that expands the traditional devices of a thriller into arenas of speculative works as well as nonfiction events, Kenneth A. Silver creates a historical and fictional inspection that moves from MIA service members in Vietnam to the under-discussed plague epidemics that ravaged North Vietnam throughout the war. The event received little attention because the efforts of those to bring them into the public eye were thwarted and their voices repressed-until now."
-Midwest Book Review
"In a blistering recap of the post-Vietnam War era, Kenneth A. Silver connects multi-faceted family dynamics with societal unrest, military war crimes, government corruption and the inherent injustices of the war draft to weave a masterful tale that lays bare the fate of nations. Songs for the Deaf encapsulates the spirit of an era haunted by a past that reverberates into the future. It is a story of convictions and consequences, masterfully portraying a good man pushed to the limits of his moral boundaries in his relentless pursuit of truth. Silver's attention to detail and vivid storytelling brings the post-Vietnam War era to life in stunning detail."
- Maincrest Media”
