Book review: When the Stammer Came to Stay

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(Image courtesy of Walker Books)

When the Stammer Came to Stay, a brand new children's book by acclaimed author Maggie O'Farrell, with illustrations from Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, hits the bookshelves this Thursday. STAMMA volunteer Katherine Brown gives her review.

When the Stammer Came to Stay, recommended for readers aged 5+, is about two young sisters Min and Bea. Min and Bea are different in every way — they look dissimilar, they enjoy completely contrasting activities, and Min likes to chat, whereas Bea prefers to listen. Nevertheless, they have a loving sisterly bond; as far as they are concerned, their differences do not matter in the slightest.

Then one day, out of nowhere, Min develops a stammer. Suddenly the chatty little girl can no longer say what she wants; she is shocked, confused and frightened. As the story unfolds, we come to understand more about the effects of Min's stammer — it impacts her emotionally by knocking her confidence and affecting her friendships, but also practically by making Min adjust her daily routine and disrupting her school life. 

The author, Maggie O'Farrell, writer of bestselling novels including Hamnet and This Must be the Place, has been very open about her own experiences of having a stammer (listen to her appearance on Desert Island Discs) and the description of little Min's struggle is emotive, and written from a place of real understanding.

It is one of those rare books that leaves a warm feeling, and for some, it might just go a little further and leave a better understanding of stammering, and an idea of how to achieve a positive outlook in life.

Min's stammer is personified as a 'dibbuk', a supernatural creature who visits Min and steals her words. Min's distress when experiencing this is convincing, especially when paired with the rousing illustrations of the swirling spectre-like dibbuk that takes her words away, so further discussion of what the dibbuk represents and the character's feelings may be helpful, especially if the book is being read to a younger child. As the story progresses, the characters are empowered by adopting a positive attitude, and finally Min accepts her dibbuk, and learns that in difficult situations sometimes a gift can be found.

Although stammering is the central theme, the strong storyline together with the vivid characters and the exquisite illustrations by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini create a beautiful children's story in its own right which does not feel contrived. And this is one of the book's successes: it will be enjoyed by both readers with a stammer and those without, and, although it has been written for ages 5+, it could also appeal to children of any age. This wide reach in terms of audience means that the book is well placed to educate and support, and the story includes descriptions of what a stammer is, what can help, what can hinder, and even suggestions of how to achieve a positive attitude. Within the story there are also parallels drawn between problems that other people have — "we all have our dibbuks" — and this inclusive and normalising message is a crucial one, especially for children.

When the Stammer Came to Stay is a book about stammering, but it is also a book about love, kindness and sensitivity. It is about hope, inspiration and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is about taking what you are given in life and making the best of it. It is one of those rare books that leaves a warm feeling, and for some it might just go a little further and leave a better understanding of stammering, and an idea of how to achieve a positive outlook in life.

When the Stammer Came to Stay by Maggie O'Farrell, published by Walker Books, will be released on hardback on Thursday 21^st November, priced £14.99.

Thank you very much to Katherine Brown, a poet, writer, lyricist and Speech & Language Therapist, for reviewing this book for STAMMA. If you have a link to stammering and would like to join our volunteer review team, please email editor@stamma.org