During the ten years that I spent in post-Vietnam War Canada, I was as close to the truth as anyone. I always knew that this was my story to write, but it took me years to decide exactly how to write it. Though it is a shocking piece of history that strikes at the heart of our democracy, I am a novelist, not a historian. I wanted it to be more than an expos.

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Hence the heart and soul of Songs For the Deaf resides in the protagonist, Miles Curtin, his complex relationship with the two strong women in his life, and their different, but essential, roles in his path to redemption.

Alice Curtin, his ex: They were past the point of loving. There was a time, though, when “her Miles” could walk on water. No, he didn’t want her love, but he was starving for her respect. It was a hunger that never left him. It was both a burden and a bond.

Valerie Delaney: It always seemed that Valerie came along at just the right moment in Miles’ life. But did she? There were times he had reasons to doubt her. “I don’t want your love without your loyalty.”

Miles Curtin: He made a pretty big splash early on in the game. The world around him was custom made for his fighting spirit. But through no fault of his, chance delivered a punishing blow. He could have bounced back from whatever happened in Canada, but he didn’t. He returned to the States in the ‘80’s. Only now he was a different person. But could that person live with the bombshell discovery that providence left on his doorstep?