The Gravewood by Kelly Andrew

Kelly Andrew’s The Gravewood is a fantasy romance novel set in a post-apocalyptic world. The novel features a deaf protagonist, Shea Parker, who attempts to carefully conserve the battery of her hearing aid device.

Yet, despite her effort, at a dangerous forest called the Gravewood, Shea eventually ends up making a dangerous bargain with a mysterious entity for batteries. In the process, she grapples with themes of loyalty, obsession, and the line between humanity and monstrosity. 

Moreover, transcending the scope of a conventional fantasy romance, The Gravewood also explores themes of disability and identity. By featuring a deaf protagonist, the novel smoothly blends the experience of deafness into the plot and character development.

The author of the novel, Kelly Andrew, draws on her own experience of losing her hearing when she was four years old. She effectively demonstrates the significance of silence and non-verbal communication throughout her work. Some other works by Andrew include The Whispering Dark and Your Blood, My Bones, in which Deaf characters become central figures in the narrative.