A Different Kind of Seeing

Marie Younan,Jill Sanguinetti

A Different Kind of Seeing
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Scribe Publications
Country
Australia
Published
29 September 2020
Pages
240
ISBN
9781922310255

A Different Kind of Seeing

Marie Younan,Jill Sanguinetti

Marie Younan was born in 1952 into a family of Assyrian refugees living in north-eastern Syria. Accidentally blinded by her grandmother as a baby, Marie was the quiet, ever-present listener within her large extended family.

Locked out of school, play, and social gatherings, she lived a brave inner life of reflection and acceptance.

The family migrated to Beirut, and then, in the mid-seventies, to Melbourne, Australia to escape the Lebanese civil war. Being blind, Marie was denied a visa, and was forced to wait in Syria and Athens for three years before the family could sponsor her to Australia.

Unable to speak English, dependent for everything on her family, Marie, in her words, was ‘only half alive’. Then, in 1985, aged 33, she attended the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind. There she became fluent in English, literate in braille, and physically mobile with the help of a cane.

Educated, independent, and professionally qualified at last, her life began to take off.

‘A tale of dispossession, displacement, and remarkable resilience. Epic in scope, but always grounded in the domestic, it chronicles one woman’s struggle to live a fulfilling life, despite her blindness and lack of education. Marie Younan is an engaging storyteller- intimate, warm, direct, and honest. In Jill Sanguinetti she has a skilful writer who has worked with her to create a rich tapestry, interweaving ancient and contemporary Assyrian history and a vast gallery of family characters, teachers, friends, and support workers who have taken part in her journey.’
-Arnold Zable

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in 3-5 days

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.