Silent People

Yvonne Jerrold
Troubadour Publishing (2006)
ISBN 1905237707
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)

The Dodder people, also known as the Silent People, are a dying race.  Their forests are being destroyed.  This ancient race of people is close to the plant world, having been produced from seeds.  As masters of illusions and disguise, The Dodders have survived as long as they have because of an amazing ability to adapt to changing environments. Their gift of invisibility allows them to blend in with their surroundings. 

These people are mixing their genes with the monkey men - us.  The monkey men are seen as a race addicted to being in control and to pursuing knowledge.  The resulting “hybrids” are half human - half creature and don’t really fit in anywhere.  Because the genes of monkey men are more dominant, the hybrids take on more of their characteristics.  When the Silent People interbreed they lose their special gifts and become banished from the lands.  Usually they remain quiet about their backgrounds because when they share that information with others, they are often characterized as crazy, or even schizophrenic, and not believed.

When I read this story, I thought, “what if?”  What if the people that we think of as crazy really are Silent People?  Wouldn’t that make life more interesting?  The story also deals with questions about how people view the world in different ways.  These questions add richness to the story. 

The main character, Hebe, is one of those people who never really quite fit in anywhere.  She is happiest when she is living by Dodder’s Well where she reflects on her special memories from childhood of Silas, who was called a “wild dodder boy.” 

When people come to the area in an attempt to learn more about the place, Hebe becomes suspicious because she does not want the Dodder people exposed or their habitats destroyed.  While reading a journal called, “Dodder’s Well Nature Notes”, Hebe learns more about this ancient race with their ties to the plant and finds herself more connected than ever to this race.  As I read the book, I wondered how much of the story was supposed to be based on reality and how much of it was actually just taking place in Hebe’s mind. 

Yvonne Jerrold has written a beautiful story that makes you contemplate how reality is different for everyone because it is based on each person’s own view of the world.  In addition to the thought provoking ideas that arise in the story, Jerrold also has a gift of writing her descriptions in a way that brings her story to life.  For example, she wrote, “…I became aware of an unnatural silence, as if the whole forest was holding its breath.”  Everything in her story is colorful and feels alive.  “Silent People” is an unusual story that should not be missed.

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