I cannot say enough about Stasia Ward Kehoe’s The Sound of Letting Go. This book captured me from page one and did not let go. While looking through the hundreds of nominations we receive for the PNBA Awards, it is always a breath of fresh air to get to a book that is so different from all of the others. The Sound of Letting Go is a painfully honest look at a family struggling to cope with the care of a severely autistic son and brother – the precarious balance of one’s responsibility to family and the freedom to live their own life. Daisy has always put the needs of her family above her own, but when life at home reaches a breaking point she decides to let it all go.
A musical element is so wonderfully woven through the whole book from Daisy’s love of playing in the jazz band and orchestra to the beautiful, almost lyrical, verse through which Stasia tells this enchanting story. She writes about a very difficult topic with such grace and love that you can’t help but be drawn into the world she has created. The characters are dynamic and captivating and it was simply a book that stuck with me throughout the whole awards process. For me, it is a book that I will be able to hand-sell in my store, to a broad audience, with great enthusiasm and that equals award winner in my book!
— Madison Butler of Liberty Bay Books, PNBA Award Committee member
Members of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award Committee are sharing what they loved about the 2015 shortlist on nwbooklovers.org. For 2015 PNBA Award coverage, click here.
