Michele was a successful thirty-two-year-old school principal and married mother of two, when she woke up one morning and could no longer hear.Doctors could offer no explanation. She spent three frustrating and desperate years searching to make sense of the medical mystery, but doctors told her there was little chance she would ever hear again. Even as she came to accept this bleak diagnosis, she never stopped looking for answers. Why would this suddenly happen to a fit young woman in her prime?Then one day, a colleague asked, “What is it, perhaps, that you don’t want to hear?” Michele was intrigued by this question. From that moment, she opened herself with curiosity to a path of self-discovery which led her back to the many silences of her childhood in which she had left parts of herself behind. As she began to tune in to her inner voice, her well-being flourished. She began expressing herself in new ways and speaking up. But her twelve-year marriage began to unravel.What began as a mission to regain her hearing became a journey of facing unspoken truths and breaking the silences that keep us trapped in the past.This Kind of Silence is an inspirational story about gratitude for the small blessings in life, learning to listen again, and the quiet joys of stillness amidst the noise. We truly enjoyed your book and the personal insights shared through your strong and intimate writing style. It transcends the familiar pattern of books by people who have overcome or healed from ailments or injuries, by helping the reader understand how essential the physical sense of hearing has been to you and is for all of us. The frustrations and losses you share are balanced by your inner transformation and wisdom. Your first person narrative draws in readers to become compassionate listeners to you and hopefully to people in their lives as well. While the structure shifts between experiences over the course of several decades, it is not as hard to follow the timeline as it is in some books that use this type of framework. Thank you for helping us become more aware of the gift of hearing and the emotions that impact our physical experience through your vivid words and feelings. ~ Nonfiction Authors Association Book Awards Program nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/book-award-winner-this-kind-of-silence-how-losing-my-hearing-taught-me-to-listen/ "A beautifully written book that instills hope in the great mysteries of life and reminds us of the powerful connection between the body, mind, and soul. This story will return you to the deep wisdom of your own knowing. It may even make you believe in miracles." ~Joanne Feder, Internationally best selling author Michele Susan Brown is a writer, author, and speaker based in Northern California, where she lives with her husband, two dogs, cat, and the wild birds that visit her backyard feeders. A former elementary school teacher, principal, and district-level administrator for eighteen years, Michele now spends time following her passions: writing, meditation, exercise, time in nature, swimming with wild dolphins in the Bahamas, and traveling on unique adventures all over the world with her husband, Gordon. Michele enjoys connecting with others and engaging in deep discussions about the importance of listening to our own intuition, being brave and vulnerable, and the freedom found in authenticity and truth. You can connect with her at www.michelesusanbrown.com, and/or write to her at michelebrownauthor@gmail.com