Books like Shtum by Jem Lester

In this darkly funny and emotive debut, Ben Jewell confronts a critical moment as his ten‑year‑old son Jonah, profoundly autistic and mute, faces a tribunal that will shape his education. Ben and his wife Emma employ a dramatic ruse—a fake separation—to bolster Jonah’s case, bringing the family into a complex web of social services and personal challenges. The fallout pulls Ben and his wife into his elderly, cantankerous father Georg’s small north London house, where three generations of men—one unable to speak, two who will not—must coexist. Ben wrestles with single‑fatherhood, the relentless pressures of advocacy, and the inevitable scrutiny of well‑meaning social workers, all while learning hard lessons about accountability from his own father. As the tribunal approaches, Jonah’s blissful innocence forces a reevaluation of personal identity, family history, and widespread misconceptions, ultimately revealing the intricate strands that bind their lives together.

First publish date: 2016