All He Knew, Helen Frost
All He Knew, Helen Frost
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All He Knew

Author: Helen Frost

Narrator: Michael Crouch

Unabridged: 4 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 08/11/2020


Synopsis

A novel in verse about a young deaf boy during World War II, the sister who loves him, and the conscientious objector who helps him. Inspired by true events.

Henry has been deaf from an early age—he is intelligent and aware of langauge, but by age six, he has decided it's not safe to speak to strangers. When the time comes for him to start school, he is labeled "unteachable." Becasue his family has very little money, his parents and older sister, Molly, feel powerless to help him. Henry is sent to Riverview, a bleak institution where he is misunderstood, underestimated, and harshly treated.

Victor, a conscientious objector to World War II, is part of a Civilian Public Service program offered as an alternative to the draft. In 1942, he arrives at Riverview to serve as an attendant and quickly sees that Henry is far from unteachable—he is brave, clever, and sometimes mischievous. In Victor's care, Henry begins to see how things can change for the better.

Heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful, Helen Frost's All He Knew is inspired by true events and provides sharp insight into a little-known element of history.

Reviews

I wish this book was written much, much more better than this. This story based on actual events that happened during the world war 2 tells the story of Henry, a child who was born normal but who becomes deaf at the age of three after getting sick suddenly one night. Yes, the whole book is about Henr......more

Goodreads review by lucy Ü

this is such a sweet book. written in prose about a young boy living with deafness during world war 2 & his struggles to understand why people do not accept him and why he's been placed in a mental institution. it always kills me knowing how people saw those individuals living with a so-called "abno......more

Goodreads review by Sandy

I started to get all frustrated and concerned as I began reading this book. I felt so helpless as I read about Henry. He had begun his life alone and misunderstood. The label they slapped on him, became a wall. I felt some relief that Molly had never forgotten her brother, although he wasn’t living......more

Hit me right in the feels......more