Elegantly written and profoundly moving, Frances Itani's debut novel is a tale of virtuosity and power. Set on the eve of the Great War, Deafening spans two continents and the lives of a young deaf woman and her beloved husband. Frances Itani's astonishing depiction of a world where sound exists only in the margins is a singular feat in literary fiction, a place difficult to leave and even harder to forget. With the simultaneous publication of Poached Egg on Toast , Itani's new short story collection, this is the perfect time for Deafening .