Love for a Deaf Rebel

Love for a Deaf Rebel, a true story, introduces readers to a vivacious Canadian woman who was born into a silent world and with the foundation for schizophrenia. With pathos and nostalgia, the author recounts his roller-coaster ride with Pearl, a vivacious deaf maverick, who, unknown to him, had paranoid schizophrenia. We follow their encounters through actual notes written before Derrick learns sign language; we go on their motorcycle ride to Mexico and Guatemala; we watch as the happy couple moves to Bowen Island, a British Columbia community with just three paved roads. Pearl and the author marry and build their dream home and hobby farm. They encounter one obstacle after another while building their life together as Pearl’s perception of reality—and, crucially, their perception of each other—begins to change. The reader learns what it means to be deaf, what it means to struggle with mental health, and what it means to love such a woman unconditionally—the ecstasy and the agony. There are other books about discovering schizophrenia in the family, such as Hidden Valley Road, and about deaf woman-hearing man relationships, such as Children of a Lesser God, but none that tells the true story of a woman who struggled with both.

The audiobook of Love for a Deaf Rebel: Schizophrenia on Bowen Island is narrated by actor-director-writer Joe Vaz. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1978748/

Narrator's comments: It was an experience reading the book. The turn in events blindsided me, and the tragedy of the situation made me realise what a privilege and a responsibility I had to convey the thoughts and words as well as possible. I found the book deeply personal and raw. At first, it was a wonderful window into the world of the deaf. I found my hands moving involuntarily whenever I was reading the voice of any of the deaf characters. It felt like I was missing half of the translation by not being able to sign while I read. The book has inspired me to learn ASL. Towards the second half, as things start to fall apart, I was deeply moved by how personal your account of that time was. By the end of the book, I was choking back my own tears and having to re-record certain lines as I found my voice cracking on the recording. I would like to thank you for trusting me to bring your journey to audio. I found it enlightening and deeply moving.