SILENCE A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives

Andrea Gallo's steady, authoritative narration suggests reverence for the vast and meticulous research behind this intriguing analysis of life in silence. Listeners are first transported to the bleak world of Philadelphia's infamous Eastern State Penitentiary. While hearing about prisoner mistreatment is sometimes difficult, their isolation from all markers of time and space initiates an engaging inquiry into isolation, culture, and the human psyche. Moving to the monastic world, where silence is a choice, Gallo's static delivery reinforces the book's dissertation-like tone. This is a missed opportunity when quoting such diverse characters as Henry David Thoreau, Trappist monk Thomas Merton, or writer Eugenia Ginzburg, a survivor of Stalin's gulag. The author's deft illumination of the "silence on top of the silencing" of women, however, shouldn't be missed. J.T. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]