The newest book by veteran author Helen Frost, and what a beautiful and terrible story it is. The main character, Henry, falls ill as a very young boy and loses his hearing. Back when this story takes place, around the time of World War 2, most schools did not know how to work with kids with hearing loss, or those with Cerebral Palsy...anything outside of the "ordinary". They were labeled "unteachable" or "feebleminded". So kids like Henry were often sent to institutions, which were often horrible places where the children were undernourished, emotionally and physically abused. Not a proud moment on our nation's history, for sure, and one that continued until fairly recently, sadly.
Frost gives a fictionalized account of such a place but also weaves in the element of conscientious objectors, which were, and are, people asked to go to war but who refuse on moral or religious grounds. In All He Knew, as the regular staff gets drafted and heads to war in Europe, Conscientious Objectors, or CO's, take their place. One man, Victor, ends up at the place Henry has lived for several years, and together they create a lasting friendship, and much needed changes.
This story has a steady heartbeat to it, and once you start it will be hard to ignore. It will tear at your heartstrings. You'll find yourself rooting for the good and crying for the bad. Henry and Victor and the other characters will stay in your head long after you read the last page. That, to me, is the sign of a really great book! 5 paws!
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