All He Knew

Description

Henry has been deaf from an early age-he is intelligent and aware of language, but by age six, he has decided it is not safe to speak to strangers. When the time comes for him to start school, he is labeled “unteachable.” Because 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 discovers that things can change for the better.

Inspired by true events and with the author’s note describing the history of the story, All He Knew provides sharp insights into the many different ways we are capable of learning about one another-and about ourselves.