Dear Bookseller,

I was 14 when I traumatically lost ~50% of my hearing. As I grappled with this loss, my Generalized Anxiety Disorder skyrocketed. For years after, my only solace was found in stories—I’d get lost in books, focusing on fiction in an act of desperate self-preservation. But the more I read, the less I felt represented. I craved stories highlighting diverse characters; stories that showed the messiness and chaos that comes with not only being a teen, but being a disabled, queer teen.

So, I wrote that story. The Loudest Silence was as cathartic as it was difficult to bring to life. Writing something heavily modeled after my lived experiences, tapping into my own emotions and struggles, felt like an exposed nerve. But I wanted to use my voice to empower, comfort, and open doors. I think of it as providing a window into a disabled perspective for able-bodied people, and a mirror for disabled people to see themselves on page.

I wrote The Loudest Silence for the anxious, lost, 14-year-old version of myself. I wrote it for queer and/or disabled kids struggling to find representation. I wrote it so abled folks could consider a new point of view. I wrote The Loudest Silence so that, maybe, someday, someone out there would read it and feel seen.

Now, thanks to the superstar booksellers and librarians out there, this book has the opportunity to achieve those exact goals. I am extremely and forever grateful for all of the support on my mission for The Loudest Silence to find its way to those who need it most. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

—Sydney Langford

Meet Sydney at their upcoming events!

Casey Kowalski once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curveball—sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss.

Hayden González-Rossi knows his family expects him to follow in their footsteps, but he wants to quit soccer and pursue a career on Broadway. If only his Generalized Anxiety Disorder didn’t send him into a debilitating spiral over the thought of telling the truth.

Casey and Hayden are both determined to hide who they really are. But when they bond over their shared love of music and their mutual feeling that they don’t belong, the secrets come spilling out.