Professor Richard Ramsden MBE, Emeritus Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Manchester
‘She has refused to give in to NF2. Despite all she has suffered she is still Emily.’
‘This moving book describes the years of intracranial surgery that she underwent with the gradual loss of the facilities that defined her life – her hearing and her balance – and a gradual re-evaluation of her life plans. That she coped with stoicism and a sense of humour owes as much to the devoted support of her family and her unshakeable religious faith as to her own indomitable personal strength. She has refused to give in to NF2. Despite all she has suffered she is still Emily.’
Lucy Simon, singer, songwriter and composer of the musicals The Secret Garden and Dr Zhivago
‘Emily Owen’s memoir is a testament to the courage and resilience of the human spirit.’
‘Emily Owen’s memoir is a testament to the courage and resilience of the human spirit. I met Emily over fifteen years ago as she was anticipating the drastic operation that would save her life, but would leave her totally without hearing. Emily, a gifted musician, wanted to hear a performance of The Secret Garden, scheduled to open at the Stratford Theatre in 2000, several days after her surgery. The theatre arranged for her to attend a dress rehearsal. As I sat with her, we exchanged thoughts about musical choices and creative expression. I was deeply moved by her passion and courage as she faced the future of not being able to hear music again with her ears but only with her memory. Not only did Emily survive the ordeal, but the experience widened her appreciation of life, deepened her spirituality and broadened her unique ability to communicate. I would say that Emily Owen is not only STILL EMILY, but a magnified and magnificent Emily.’
The Reverend Barry Hill, Diocesan Mission Enabler, for the Diocese of Leicester
Emily shows us that the voice of love – and of God’s love in particular – can still be heard. It is hard to commend this book enough!’
‘Words like courageous, persevering and faithful can be thrown around in today’s world as clichéd, lightweight hyperbole. Emily’s candid, honest, painful and hope-filled writings take us deep into what such words really mean. Although the specifics of her illness are rare, her readable and vulnerable story helps us reflect on what is left when so much on which we build our identity is stripped away; how can the real us not just survive but thrive? In the silence of sudden and complete deafness, Emily shows us that the voice of love – and of God’s love in particular – can still be heard. It is hard to commend this book enough!’