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The Silent Gift
The 1930s were a decade of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of love and enormous sacrifices in the face of circumstances horrendous beyond belief. When her husband leaves her for someone whose time isn't wrapped up in a silent, handicapped kid, Mary and little Luke...more
Paperback, 362 pages
Published
October 1st 2009
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published January 1st 2009)
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If you have not read any of Michael Landon Jr.'s books - you are missing out!
I had previously read One More Sunrise and was anxious to get my hands on his second book, The Silent Gift.
I could hardly put this book down - it drew me in from the very first chapter and I found myself rushing to get back to the story and find out what happens to Jack, the little boy who is deaf and mute.
Jack's journey begins with a tumultuous birth underwater, after an automobile accident. From there, he and his moth...more
I had seen this book and read the reviews on Goodreads which rated it very high. I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be.
The writing is well done, in that I could easily visualize what was happening and the characters as well. I liked the fact that each character was very unique and written well. I never thought, "oh, what a lame character". They each had a story that intertwined well and lent a few surprises.
What I didn't like was the story would move along quite slowly and then a lo...more
The writing is well done, in that I could easily visualize what was happening and the characters as well. I liked the fact that each character was very unique and written well. I never thought, "oh, what a lame character". They each had a story that intertwined well and lent a few surprises.
What I didn't like was the story would move along quite slowly and then a lo...more
An absolutely marvelous read. A joy from the time you pick it up until you finish the final word.
Set in the era of the Great Depression, one flawed woman and one flawed boy make their way through poverty, prosperity, and politics, to finally arrive at peace.
‘The Silent Gift‘ by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley will cause you to think just how far our culture has come in how we view those who are physically disabled and even more those who are emotionally scarred.
Mary Goodwin, mother to Jack,...more
Set in the era of the Great Depression, one flawed woman and one flawed boy make their way through poverty, prosperity, and politics, to finally arrive at peace.
‘The Silent Gift‘ by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley will cause you to think just how far our culture has come in how we view those who are physically disabled and even more those who are emotionally scarred.
Mary Goodwin, mother to Jack,...more
It is almost 3:00 in the morning as I write this review. Why? Because I just finished the last page of a book that gripped my heart from the first paragraph and didn't let go until the last sentence had me in tears. I was swept away into the life and times of the 1930's with such abandon that I would have sworn for a short while that I could smell the circus, see the sunlight reflecting off the windows at the Edmundson's estate, glimpse the red skin barely peeking out from under Mary's white ki...more
Jack is a deaf mute child growing up in the Midwest during the Great Depression. Mary is his mother trying to keep her son with her inside of sending him to an institution which is what her husband wants to do with him. Mary eventually leaves her husband with her son Jack when she finds out that he plans on leaving her and Jack first and penniless. She soon discovers that Jack has the gift of prophecy and she finds those who are kind to her and her son to help her out. She is a single mother who...more
The year is 1930. Mary will never forget the day her extraordinary son, Jack was born. She and her husband, Jerry Sinclair were driving to the hospital to deliver the baby. The roads were slick as it was raining. Jerry lost control of the car. It went off the road and into a lake. Mary ends up giving birth to Jack in the lake.
Jack was born completely deaf. He can’t even read lips. Ever since that day, Jerry has become cold and selfish. Mary packs up Jack and they run away. Mary discovers that J...more
Jack was born completely deaf. He can’t even read lips. Ever since that day, Jerry has become cold and selfish. Mary packs up Jack and they run away. Mary discovers that J...more
I was very intrigued by the idea of this novel. I mean it’s about a woman and what she would do to protect her son and also her absolute love for him. I was also very curious to know what the “gift” was. I picked it up the other night and as I was reading I found that the way it was written was honestly perfect. It has good rhythm and just a good voice. The storyline was beyond amazing. I was only about a quarter through the book when I picked it up Saturday and I pretty much couldn’t let go of...more
I tend to steer clear of any books focusing on religion or faith, but I was intrigued by The Silent Gift as soon as I learned about it. I enjoy most fiction dealing with psychic ability or prophecy and decided to take a chance. I'm very glad I did. The Silent Gift is a book that has religious themes, without being preachy, but more it is a book showing a mother's never-wavering love for her disabled son. Mary's life with Jack and everything she went through in the name of protecting her son was...more
In the beginning Mary is living with her husband and their son Jack during the Great Depression. Jack does not communicate with others which his mother embraces as being who Jack is and his father holds against them both. One night Mary learns that her husband is planning on leaving them both (with all of their money and overdue bills) so Mary takes Jack and (literally) runs. She learns during this time that Jack can communicate (and see the future) through the word of God. Mary is not certain w...more
I really enjoyed this book--it's a compelling, sweet story about a mother's love for her son. Mary is a single mom and her eight-year-old son, Jack, is deaf and mute. They're also on the run from her husband, who is not a very nice person. It's hard for her to find jobs, because she has to keep him with her and most would-be bosses frown on that.
Then it turns out that her son is sort of psychic, and this is sort of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it's possible to turn that into money (money =...more
Then it turns out that her son is sort of psychic, and this is sort of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it's possible to turn that into money (money =...more
I have to admit I really enjoyed this book even though I did cry during parts of it. The story centers around Jack who is deaf and mute and has a gift of predicting the future by writing down bible verse numbers that would lead to a passage applicable to someone's situation. Just when you think it couldn't get worse for Jack and his mother, the situation turns dire and you wonder how this family can make it. Mary, Jack's mother, finds strength to continue. All in all, this is a very heartwarming...more
Luke and his mother Mary escape a withdrawn and mean husband and end up in Chicago on their own with few options and resources. Luke is deaf and unable to communicate. Mary is determined to find a position that will pay enough to support the two of them, while keeping him by her side. She is taken advantage of, and falls prey to bad luck on more than one occasion. The book delves into the use of spiritual gifts and the consequences of misusing them. A good reminder of how far we've come in terms...more
There are so many layers to this book. I was intrigued, angry, hopeful, and sad during the reading of this book. I must say the authors are fabulous writers! There was such depth to the story and many layers to the main character.
"The decade of the 'thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond bel...more
"The decade of the 'thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond bel...more
Intriguing characters, interesting plot, fleshed out characters, and mostly believable events: this was a great book. I read it in four hours and didn't put it down except to get a glass of water.
My only complaint - I really wanted Jack's perspective! I wanted to know what was going on in Jack's head, how he felt about all his adventures. From running away from his abusive father, living in a homeless shelter, being deposited into a poor house, hoboing around the country, and working for a circ...more
My only complaint - I really wanted Jack's perspective! I wanted to know what was going on in Jack's head, how he felt about all his adventures. From running away from his abusive father, living in a homeless shelter, being deposited into a poor house, hoboing around the country, and working for a circ...more
This book had me from page one, the story takes place in the 1930's about a mother and son. In the beginning all you can think is - this story is about the mother and son - what is going to happen next???? The story starts at the son - Jack - birth through the end of his life. At time's I've cried, as a mother myself, was worried about what is going to happen next which kept me going. Over all, I really enjoyed this book.
I'm not so much a fan of the "inspirational" novel genre and probably wouldn't have chosen this had I not gone to the library with the entire family after already running a few errands. Their collective patience didn't allow for adequate browsing. ;)
The book was interesting enough for me to finish it, but had some issues with pacing and heavy-handedness.
The book was interesting enough for me to finish it, but had some issues with pacing and heavy-handedness.
Though I am a religiious person, I really did not like this book. There is, in literature, a need for "suspension of disbelief" in an unlikely plot. I just could not get past the basic premise of the book or some of the too-good-to-be-true coincidences.
How can a gift be lived in a way to that protects the guilty and harms the innocent? This is not a "comfortable" book. It's a little on the dark side for me. The characters portrayed as "good" are too flawed, while the bad guys have no redeeming qualities.
I like books set in the early 1900's. This was a touching book about a mother's love, and the length she will go for her child. I liked all the different characters that Mary and Jack came in contact with. Some of them even surprised me.
Kindof a middle-of-the-road book for me. Not awesome, not bad. I did like the twist at the end that brought the book full circle from the beginning of the book when Jack says that the book is really about his mother.
Interesting. I forgot while reading the book that the 'preface' is written by the boy and I only remembered when the end had his voice again. That was a nice touch, since you never really know during the book how with it Jack is, so the beginning and end let you know that he really is intelligent and aware. The story was predictable to me - there were no surprises and I figured I knew 1/3 of the way through what was happening, but that was okay. The characters aren't too fleshed out, but it was...more
I really liked this book. It was a story that tugged at my heart and I had to know things would work out. It didn't work out as I thought it would and that's a good thing. We don't always want to read the expected.
I listened to this book on my iPod. It was really good. The characters seemed so real, and the story really captured my interest. I'd definitely recommend it. Sad and sweet with a good ending.
I haven't been so pulled into a story in a while. I stayed up way too late reading. It was totally a Hallmark story- sappy and predictable but fun to be pulled into and with a happy ending.
Meh. I think this could have been better. The focus was usually on what the mother was doing and feeling rather than on what the son was doing and feeling. This became painfully true in the last fifty pages. I didn't like that a major plot development was brought to light in the last chapter by a character speaking from heaven either.
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I really liked this book. The characters each have their own tale that is well developed. It is the story of a young boy who is deaf and mute. He has a gift of seeing the future. It is a mixed blessing in many ways. Just when I thought the book could not go any further with stories of this child's "gift" the story takes an unexpected turn and you won't want to put the book down!
I was going to give this 3 stars, but the last few pages really caught me. It brought tears to my eyes. The mother's emotional struggle to do right for her child, at any cost was extremely powerful. This book reminds us that people should never underestimate the bond between a mother and a child.
I loved this book! It pulled on my emotions but made me think of many things including my own "silent gifts" and all the children.
Very interesting... a little wierd in a good way. Not a Typical book at all. Beautiful story of a mother and her relationship with her son.
I really liked this book. It was not what i was expecting the way that it ended. But i still liked the book, and it was a quick read.
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