Love for a Deaf Rebel introduces readers to Pearl, a vivacious Canadian born into a silent world. With pathos and nostalgia, the hearing author recounts his roller-coaster ride with a deaf maverick, who, unknown to him, had paranoid schizophrenia. We follow their encounters through actual conversations written before the author learned sign language; we go on their motorcycle ride to Guatemala; we watch as the happy couple moves to Bowen Island, a community with just three paved roads, where Pearl and the author marry and build their dream home and hobby farm. They encounter one obstacle after another while building their life together as Pearl’s perception of reality—and, crucially, their perception of each other—begins to change. There are other books about schizophrenia in the family, such as Hidden Valley Road , and about deaf–hearing relationships, such as Children of a Lesser God , but none that tells the true story of a woman who struggled with both disabilities, and her final tumultuous romance. “ The turn in events blind-sided me, and the tragedy of the situation made me realise what a privilege and a responsibility I had to convey your thoughts and words as well as possible. I found the book deeply personal and raw, a wonderful window into the world of the deaf. I found my hands moving involuntarily whenever I was voicing deaf characters. As things started to fall apart, I was deeply moved by how personal your account of that time was. By the end of the book, I was choking back my tears and having to re-record lines as I found my voice cracking on the recording. Thank you for trusting me to bring your book, and your journey, to audio. ”—Joe Vaz, Narrator This is a true story. Most written conversations are abridged from transcripts. Signed and oral conversations are recreations from notes and records. The author tells the story as he experienced it, with Pearl's earliest history revealed last. The names of living persons have been replaced by pseudonyms. Derrick King published the biographical memoir, Love for a Deaf Rebel: Schizophrenia on Bowen Island (Provenance Press, 2021) about his tumultuous romance with Pearl, a vivacious and profoundly deaf maverick, who, unknown to him, had paranoid schizophrenia. The author learned sign language for her and the couple moved to Bowen Island in 1985. There, they married and built their dream home and hobby farm. They encountered one obstacle after another as Pearl's perception of reality—and, crucially, their perception of each other—began to change. The difficulty of dealing with a loved one's mental illness masked by disability, and the bond that grew between strangers living in two worlds, brings revelations about prejudice, acceptance, handicaps, and equality. I have been moved in so many ways by your story. You have made me laugh, and you have made me cry. I am in awe and want you to know your story has taken me to places inside of me to remember that nothing lasts and we must cherish things as they are. The light and the dark, the good and the bad, are intertwined. Looking back at our adventures and experiences, we see the truths in our life. —J.P. This book is powerful! It is amazing. I loved it! I read the book three times, and it has been in my thoughts since my first reading. The author put his heart and soul into this book. His telling of the journey taken by Pearl and him is brilliant, heart-wrenching, and insightful. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed all the characters; I feel like I know them. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing it. —D.G. This book is fascinating and moving, an exotic love story however contorted the love. New Pearl was there all along, the alter-ego lying in wait to be discovered after the honeymoon. The author truly loved Pearl and was heartbroken by her ultimate failure to recognize his true love; how sad for her indeed! I hope this book goes viral. —P.W. The author has done a masterful job of documenting Pearl's journey. Schizophrenia is very complicated and not easily understood. The book would be very helpful to anyone with a schizophrenic family member or friend. —G.G. This book is fascinating. The author is a good writer and my goodness but he has had an eventful life. We have all had our sagas of love lost, and it is unfortunate that each generation has to learn the lessons again with all the heartache. —I.V. The book pulled me in right away. The author knows how to capture detail and make the story interesting; readers would like to be there with them. It is touching how the author never stopped loving Pearl despite everything that happened. He tried to make things work instead of rushing towards divorce like she did. —D.L. I couldn't put this book down. What crazy shit the author went through—he lived the lives of a thousand men! —D.B. Derrick King was born in Newfoundland, a fifth-generation Canadian with a pioneer's gene for adventure. He earned his BASc(EE) from the University