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Shtum: A funny and uplifting story of families and love by [Jem Lester]

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Jem Lester

Shtum: A funny and uplifting story of families and love Kindle Edition

by Jem Lester (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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'An unforgettable first novel' The Times

* * * * *

THE EBOOK BESTSELLER ABOUT FATHERS, SONS AND LOVE

Ten-year-old Jonah lives in a world of his own.
He likes colours and feathers and the feel of fresh air on his skin.
He dislikes sudden loud noises and any change to his daily routine.
Jonah has never spoken, yet somehow he communicates better than all of the adults in his life.

Inspired by the author's experiences with his own son, SHTUM is a novel about three generations of a family learning to get along.

* * * * *

'A book with true heart and soul' Joanna Cannon

'Whether you think Shtum is a novel about autism or about marriage (it's both, by the way), you will agree that it is, in the end, a love story infused with wit, charm, and a deep appreciation for the complex beauty of damaged souls.' Jonathan Tropper

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Orion
Publication date

7 April 2016
File size

1606 KB
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Review

Angry and fiercely funny . . . an unforgettable first novel - THE TIMES

A darker, sadder version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but just as moving - THE OBSERVER

This is the literary territory of Tony Parsons and Nick Hornby, infused with the Jewish humour of Howard Jacobson and Shalom Auslander - GUARDIAN

Jem Lester writes so beautifully, it feels as if you're eavesdropping on a conversation. Shtum is a book with true heart and soul, and I loved every word --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

Jem Lester was a journalist for nine years and saw the Berlin Wall fall in 1989 - and though there, he denies personal responsibility. He was also the last journalist to interview the legendary Fred Zinnemann, before the director died. He denies responsibility for that too. He taught English and Media studies at secondary schools for nine years. Jem has two children, one of whom is profoundly autistic, and for them he accepts total responsibility. He lives in London with his partner and her two children.

Jem's first novel, Shtum, won the 2013 PFD/City University Prize for Fiction.

Follow Jem on Twitter @JemLester --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0119Q17ZK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orion; 1st edition (7 April 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1606 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 324,700 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 468 in British & Irish Humour & Satire
- 677 in Satire (Kindle Store)
- 1,404 in Satire (Books)

Customer Reviews:
452 ratings

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The reality of autism

Reviewed in Australia on 28 March 2018

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Must’ve lost my funny-bone. Tales of an incontinent eleven year old who smears the walls with poo and trashes the kitchen may be humorous in the abstract, but the thought of clearing up such major messes on an almost daily basis is my idea of a nightmare. Added to which, Jonah attacks himself and others sometimes, is completely non-verbal, and will never function at more than toddler level, if that. Never has the hard work of caring for such a child been so well conveyed. His father, Ben, copes by consuming vast amounts of alcohol, and by not running the family business, bequeathed to him by his father Georg.

Ben’s lawyer wife Emma convinces Ben that they’ll stand a better chance of fighting the authorities to get Jonah into a good school if they fake a separation. So Ben and Jonah go to live with Georg, who has his own demons, having lost his Hungarian Jewish family in WWII. Other themes emerge. Ben’s mother left a long time ago. Flashbacks give us some idea why. Georg tells Jonah things he doesn’t tell Ben. Emma has been struggling more than she let on. Ben carries guilt about Jonah’s conception. Ben’s career prospects are down the toilet. He has to face harsh truths about himself. And on top of this, there’s always the slug-fest with disingenuous authorities, who want cheaper solutions. As if that weren’t enough, Georg gets a bad diagnosis. So: fun and parties all round it isn’t. But it is a disturbingly honest account of life at the lower end of the spectrum.

Ben and Georg manage some healing and rapprochement, Ben realises how tough he’s been on Emma, and at considerable cost, both parents do well in front of the tribunal handling Jonah’s case. It’s harsh out there in the land of autism. PS: the author has an autistic son, and says he really, really didn’t want to write about it.

Reviewed in Australia on 27 March 2018

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As a parent of an adult with profound autism I did find some aspects amusing that others may not. I think the development of a "black sense if humour helps. This is much more than a story of autism, it covers many aspects of family , need, hope and helplessness. It was a very good read.

Reviewed in Australia on 5 June 2016

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Amazing book. So different to the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime but exploring the very challenging behaviours of a child with severe Asperger's syndrome. Great characters with difficult and very human decisions to make

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Peter Gaspar

Powerful, emotional and rewarding.

Reviewed in Australia on 6 June 2016

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A book at times frustrating but compelling none the less. The frustration is finally resolved and the book finishes on an optimistic and positive note. A very good read.

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Casey Smurph

I highly recommend this if your looking for a non glamoured up ...

Reviewed in Australia on 27 April 2017

Following the life of Ben Jewell, Emma Jewell and their son Jonah Jewell.

This story tackles alcoholism, prescription drugs and the stigma around autism. I highly recommend this if your looking for a non glamoured up account of having a family member with Autism.

Ben and Emma are raising a 10 year old boy Jonah who has sever autism. I was a bit cautious going into this as I was hoping for a true account of what it is like raising a child with Autism and I shouldn't of been as Jem Lester did an amazing job and there were so many scenes and description that are absolutely spot on that he must have some personal experience with an Autistic relative.

Shtum is more then a story about Autism, it is a story of love, tough decisions, the importance of family and ultimately one with a realistic ending.

I didn't like Emma at the start, as a sister of a child of Autism I couldn't help comparing Emma and Ben to my own parents and my Mum would never do what Emma did BUT at the end of the book when we dive into the reasons behind it, you really start to understand everyone copes with things differently and I couldn't dislike her any more as she had done the best she could.

The writing was just beautiful, the parallels the descriptions and most of all how all actions are communication and you don't need words to speak and connect with others.

"I would find alternative motives for their words. But, just by looking me straight in the eyes, or inviting some physical contact, in a moment Jonah informs me of his true feeling without words and I believe him. Words become meaningless if you don't tell your truth and they become weapons if you tell someone else theirs. "

"Words are just shapes, one squiggle after another. And you think people are so clever to use them this way and that way; stitch them together and shoot them like bullets and watch them wound or caress, hurt or disgust?"

All up I give this a 4. I was going to give this a 3.5 as the start was quite slow for me but the ending really picked up and made me enjoy the story so much more.

Reviewed in Australia on 13 January 2017

Shtum by Jenny Lester is a general fiction (adult) read.

Ben Jewell has hit breaking point. His ten-year-old son Jonah has severe autism and Ben and his wife, Emma, are struggling to cope.

When Ben and Emma fake a separation - a strategic decision to further Jonah's case in an upcoming tribunal - Ben and Jonah move in with Georg, Ben's elderly father. In a small house in North London, three generations of men - one who can't talk; two who won't - are thrown together.

As Ben battles single fatherhood, a string of well-meaning social workers and his own demons, he learns some difficult home truths. Jonah, blissful in his innocence, becomes the prism through which all the complicated strands of personal identity, family history and misunderstanding are finally untangled.
This was such a powerful and emotional read. I cannot begin to understand what Ben and Emma went through. This is a must read and I would highly recommend this book. Definitely worth more than 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

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Joy Kluver

Beautiful but harrowing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 May 2016

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Meet Jonah Jewell. He’s 11 years old and likes feathers to fidget with, being outside and eating apples. His parents, Ben and Emma Jewell, are trying to find the best secondary school for him but it’s not as easy as putting down six choices and hoping for the best, especially when the best is a residential school, out of borough and costing £200,000 per year. Jonah is autistic at the far end of the spectrum. Non-verbal, doubly incontinent, he will have to be looked after for the rest of his life. Ben and Emma have done their best but know that it’s not good enough – Jonah needs more than they can give. They are taking the Council to a tribunal to try and get the school that Jonah needs. They’re at breaking point themselves when Emma suggests that they temporarily ‘split’ for the sake of the tribunal. She’d heard somewhere that they were more likely to win if Jonah was living with a single parent. So Ben and Jonah are pushed out of the family home to live with Georg, Ben’s father. And therein lies another problem – Ben and Georg don’t really talk.

Jem Lester will have you laughing one minute and crying the next with Shtum. It’s both beautiful and harrowing. Each chapter starts with a letter and a PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) sign that then set the tone for that chapter. I particularly liked the letter where Jonah’s name was wrong and I half expected Ben to be referred to as ‘Dad’ at some point during a meeting (a particular bugbear of mine). This novel highlights the battles faced by so many parents just trying to do the best for their children. Add to this the heartfelt story of Georg and Ben’s unacknowledged alcoholism and you will break. Although Shtum is fiction, this is also reality for Jem Lester and his son, Noah. Jem and his family know all too well the battles that have to be fought and won.

An utterly, compelling read.

7 people found this helpful

Amazonian Customer

Emotional and rewarding

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2017

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A story about a severely autistic boy is inevitably going to tug at your heartstrings. Jem Lester's incredibly affecting first novel is not sentimental though. He doesn't gloss over the realities of caring for such a demanding child, nor does he make the parents seem worthy of sainthood. In fact they are at breaking point but still they have to dig deep and find the reserves to fight the system to get the best care for their son.

It's a story full of anger and determination but it also has moments of great joy and humour. Communication (or the lack of it) is a key theme - the three generations of men in this family either physically or emotionally can't speak to each other.

It's not always an easy read, but it's a rewarding one.

3 people found this helpful

Michelle

4 stars!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 December 2019

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This is one of those books that has sat on my TBR for years and once I picked it up I could barely put it down.

Met Ben. Ben is a father to an 11 year old boy with a complex form of autism. Ben is a son to a Jewish man who survived WW2. This book is entirely focused on these three characters. Three generations of men, all related, all entirely unique.

I really enjoyed this, I mean it made me cry, twice actually, sure sign that these characters got under my skin.

This felt so refreshing, I feel that this specific genre has few males voices, from the authors afterword I now know that the content of this book is mainly from personal experience which I had a feeling of while reading as this book is raw emotion.

Four colourful reflective stars for three equally unique characters that gave me all the feels.

mosheyaroq

A difficult read made easy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2017

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The subject matter was always going to make a book like this either periferal or amazing. It achieved amazing for me because it personified silence on five levels seamlessly. All of the book's protagonists dealt with their own silence and Jem Lester made us want to flip each page in the hope that the silence would be broken. It is a complete book without any questions left at the end. I like that!

2 people found this helpful

JaquiP

What a wonderful book. I loved it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2018

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Jem Lester has written a warm, wry and witty book which I loved. It is true as the blurb says somewhere that it is a story about fathers about sons and about love but it is about so much more than that. It is a complex story about damaged souls, about legacy and about how what we don't say is as meaningful as the words we do. " Words become meaningless if you don't tell your truth and they become weapons if you try to tell someone else theirs. " It is a story about a boy with autism about the impact of autism to relationships and Ben's struggle to get Jonah into the best school for Jonah's needs, a school that costs two hundred thousand pounds a year. "I want your days to be full of joy and fun and free of anxiety and pain.". And don't we all wish this for our children. But Ben is struggling with more than even this. I loved Georg. I loved the dialogue . For me, the book felt totally real and authentic and truthful. I was gripped from beginning to end. I really loved everything about the book.

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Shtum: A funny and uplifting story of families and love Kindle Edition

'An unforgettable first novel' The Times

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