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Silent's Teacher
peggy winnett, author
Travel with Hanna Hobbs, newly certified teacher of English as a Foreign Language, as she takes her first job at a university in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Go though the school year, 1992-1993 as Hanna meets and comes to know some of her students and fellow teachers. Watch as an event occurs that leads Hanna to take actions opposed by all those whom she consults, a culture clash from which Hanna is forced to examine the true intent of her work as a teacher. And enjoy the blossoming romance that seems to confirm the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Plot/Idea: 5 out of 10
Originality: 6 out of 10
Prose: 5 out of 10
Character/Execution: 4 out of 10
Overall: 5.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Hannah leaves her Bay Area home to teach English at a Chinese university, leaving behind her boyfriend Ben. The author paints a good picture of work both rewarding and bewildering, of the challenges of loneliness and adapting to a vastly different culture. The book falls short when it comes to integrating the two main plot lines: the experience in China and the relationship with Ben. The supporting characters could be more fully fleshed, and a stronger focus is needed on showing over telling.
Date Submitted: July 17, 2016
