Silent Song

By Mary Vigliante Szydlowski

Book Overview

As a young child, Philomena Rienzi was considered bright and precocious. There was only one problem, she did not speak. Her Italian immigrant parents, believing in Old World concepts of shame, bad... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595089089
• ISBN13: 9780595089086
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

disturbing and moving

A rerelease of a book I read over ten years ago. This is a haunting story of a girl abused by her parents & the system for not being "normal" -- she's mute. The story follows her from a childhood most often spent tied to a tree like a dog, to her involuntary commitment in a state institution (circa 1950s?) that is abusive and degrading. Yet she survives w/ the help of herself and a few friends made along the way. Not an easy book to read but worth your time.