phyllish
Written on Dec 10, 2018
My rating is 5 stars
Henry Lafferty the Second, aka HL2, aka H, was born deaf. When he was still a young boy, an accident put him in a wheelchair, never to walk again. Now close to sixty, he has spent the majority of his life in seclusion and silence. Despite the isolation he has experienced, he cared deeply for the people in the town. In addition to being a voracious reader and exquisite carver of birds, he has a special, secret talent.
Enter Julia. This precocious young girl had a bigger heart than most. When she tags along with her attorney father as he meets with his client, Mr. Lafferty, she is immediately drawn to him. She discovers that he is able to experience the music from the piano as she plays and that he recognizes the song. Realizing also that she can communicate with him if she learns sign language, she insinuates herself into his life and his heart.
There is so much to love about this special story! I can’t bring myself to call it heartwarming because that seems insufficient to describe the deep love that Julia and Mr. Lafferty develop for one another and the richness of this story of their friendship and trust.
There is a mystery as windows of the mansion are broken by an unknown source and search and rescue mission that has to be executed.
In the world of the deaf, a sign name is something special. It is given to one by a deaf person and expresses much more than just a name. Parts of personality shine through. The sign name given to Henry by his mother spoke to me of her love for him. The sign name he gave to Julia was not only a great honor, it was absolutely perfect for her. I can only hope that if I were ever given one, it would be similar.
Many stories that have “Christmas” in the name or that are marketed as Christmas stories fall far short of that title in my opinion. Silent Days, Holy Night embodies everything a Christmas story should be. It is a story of friendship, of sacrifice, of giving of one’s self and speaks of the great love that God has for us in that He sent His only son so He might lead us into a relationship with Himself.
This is now the second book by this author that I have read (in just a few months even). I am now more convinced than ever that I need to read everything that she writes!!
If you are looking for a Christmas story that is one, I highly encourage you to read this!
Read my full review with a Preview at Among the Reads
I was given a copy of this book for free. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.