ISLES OF VIEW
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
ISLES OF VIEW Author: Brunner, C.F. Review Date: JULY 20, 2007 Publisher:iUniverse Editor's Choice (162 pp.) Price (paperback): $12.95 Publication Date: March 2006 ISBN (paperback): 978-0595-362356 Category: AUTHORS Classification: FICTION A woman who marries a deaf man faces a crossroads in their relationship. When Cara’s husband Dan meets her at the airport, she pretends that she doesn’t know him at first. After traveling for more than three months on business, she’s not sure she’s ready to go home yet. When Cara left she had welcomed the time away from Dan and the dark side of his personality that she’d been increasingly witnessing, but seeing him again causes her to reflect on their ten-plus years of marriage. Cara first noticed Dan—his dark blue eyes and distinguished demeanor—when he passed her in the hallway at work. When she encounters him at a party, she discovers that he is deaf, but because he can read lips and speak well they are able to strike up a conversation, and she finds herself immediately captivated by him. During the beginning months of their romance, Cara tries to understand Dan’s world and teaches herself sign language despite the fact that he declines to teach her—an early sign of his self-loathing. She discovers the origin of his shame when she meets his odd, upper-crust family, who treat him like an idiot despite the fact that he’s pursuing a master’s in business and is a fully functioning, intelligent adult. As the years pass, Dan increasingly takes his frustrations out on Cara, and she begins to believe that there is an unbridgeable divide between them, poignantly illustrated by a cruel trick he plays on her—he mouths the words “isles of view,” which looks exactly like saying “I love you” to her. Brunner’s debut novel is inspired by her own marriage. Readers who’ve been in long-term relationships will appreciate her skillful depiction of the often painful difficulties of communicating with a loved one, and how even the strongest bonds are tested over time. A well-rendered, heartfelt love story.
Formats
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
Cara DiSordo cannot help but notice Dan Brighton’s slate-blue eyes when she first meets him. When he reveals he is profoundly deaf, Cara already knows nothing can stop her growing attraction to him. Drawn to his quiet dignity, ambition, and confidence, Cara begins to teach herself the rudiments of sign language. As their relationship evolves into a comfortable pairing, they soon fall in love and marry. But it is not long before Cara recognizes the tough realities of being married to a deaf partner. As Dan’s internal struggles and shame of his disability manifests itself in angry and peculiar ways, Cara attributes his dark side to a troubled upbringing involving a father’s disappointment, a sister’s animosity, and a mother’s irresolute love. Under constant strain, but never out of love with Dan, Cara accepts a job promotion eleven years later that takes her away from him for several months. As she returns home after exploring her ability to continue in a difficult marriage, now only time will tell if Dan and Cara’s relationship can survive their unique challenges. In this heartfelt love story, a deaf man and a hearing woman must determine whether they can defy the odds of their loving yet unconventional marriage and strengthen their bond to last a lifetime.
About the Author
C. F. Brunner earned a Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) in Psychology from the University of Hartford where she was a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society. Her marriage to a deaf man since 1986 provided the inspiration for Isles of View. She resides in Connecticut.