{Story Diary} The Quiet Is Loud by Samantha Garner

May 24, 2021



Happy Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month



the quiet is loud by samantha garner
The Quiet Is Loud by Samantha Garner
Literary Speculative Fiction, Supernatural / Occult
May 4, 2021 from Invisible Publishing

The perfect marriage of literary and speculative fiction for readers of Kazuo Ishiguro and NK Jemisin.

When Freya Tanangco was ten, she dreamed of her mother’s death days before it happened. Freya’s life since has been spent in hiding: from the troubled literary legacy created by her author father, and from the scrutiny of a society that is hostile to vekers—people who, like her, have enhanced mental abilities.

When her prophetic dreams take a dangerous turn, Freya finds herself increasingly forced to sacrifice her own anonymity—and the fragile safety that comes with it—in order to protect those around her.

Interwoven with themes of Filipino Canadian and mixed-race identity, fantastical elements from Norse and Filipino mythology, and tarot card symbolism, The Quiet Is Loud is an intergenerational tale about the consequences of secrets and what happens when we refuse to let others tell our stories for us.

Samantha Garner‘s short fiction and poetry have appeared in Broken Pencil, Sundog Lit, Kiss Machine, The Fiddlehead, Storychord, WhiskeyPaper and The Quarantine Review. She lives and writes in Mississauga.



★ Praises for The Quiet Is Loud ★


“The Quiet is Loud made me believe wholeheartedly in the paradextrous powers of its characters and their world, so wholeheartedly that at times I forgot that what I was reading was not possible. Garner’s is an exciting new voice.” —Liz Harmer, author of The Amateurs and Strange Loops

“Samantha Garner’s rich prose deftly weaves together family politics, estrangement, and finding one’s own place in the world. A lovely exploration of friendship, and identity, and what it means to be truly accepted.” —Lindsay Zier-Vogel, author of Letters to Amelia

“In The Quiet is Loud, Samantha Garner has deftly crafted a world that left me breathless. Getting to know Freya Tanangco’s story, watching her weave together the strands of her Norwegian-Filipino identity and the unexpected power she wields, was both suspenseful and filled with quiet illumination. At the heart, the novel is a gripping journey of self-discovery and the family bonds that hold us all together.” —Julia Zarankin, author of Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder


Settings / Places


Toronto, Ontario, Canada


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Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


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Kelowna, British Colombia, Canada


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Greater Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada


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Paradextrous / Veker


People with enhanced telepathic and telekinetic abilities who are disgraced and scrutinized by society to the point of often being met with violence. This prompts them to hide their identities and abilities. Feared and misunderstood, the term veker is used as a slur more than an identifier or label.

Paradextrous' abilities ranges from person to person -- from mind reading to premonition and more.

The MC, Freya, is a paradextrous who has prophetic dreams, which had her spend her life in hiding and make a living by offering tarot readings online.

Themes / Tropes


☾ Filipino, Norse and Okanagan mythology
☾ Prophecies
☾ Secret societies
☾ Multicultural identity
☾ Intergenerational familial bond
☾ Psychic abilities
☾ Self-discovery
☾ Tarot card symbolism

Rep


☀ Filipino-Norwegian Canadian MC
☀ Filipino-Norwegian Canadian author
☀ Indigenous Native American (Colville-Okanagan) mythology

Content / Trigger Warnings


➤ Past death of parent







Samantha Garner is a Canadian SF/F author living in the Greater Toronto Area.

Her literary sci-fi novel THE QUIET IS LOUD was published by Invisible Publishing May 4, 2021.

Samantha’s stories and poems have been published in print and online, in publications such as The Fiddlehead, Kiss Machine, Storychord, WhiskeyPaper, Sundog Lit, and The Quarantine Review. She’s also been blogging since 1997. She is represented by Kelvin Kong at K2 Literary Agency.

When she’s not writing, she’s out walking around, trying to photograph her long-suffering dog, playing a video game, or boring a loved one with the latest historical fact she’s just learned.












As we celebrate AAPIHM/APIHM, it's also important to be informed of the rising Asian hate crimes that's increased over the past year and do what you can to help support fellow Asians and stop Asian hate.

Stop Asian hate in the U.S. and around the world by contacting elected officials, donating, signing petitions, volunteering, attending bystander intervention trainings, supporting Asian businesses/creators, reporting anti-Asian hate crimes near you, and more: Stop AAPI Hate, Stop Asian Hate carrd, Anti-Asian Violence Resources carrd, Asian American Commission, Asian American Advocacy Fund, Asian Mental Health Collective, and this comprehensive list of Asian-led orgs and resources via NYMag. More resources in the sidebar as well. ➔


Support Pacific Islanders in Oceana and abroad by signing petitions to protect their land or donating to their causes and mutual aids. Some orgs/aids to donate to: Covid: Hawai'i Resilience Fund, Pasifika Medical Association, Hawai'i Food Bank, Hawai'ian Way Fund via Council for Nativa Hawai'ian Advancement, sign petitions to protect Hawai'i Mauna Kea (and here and here and here), and send an open letter to Hawai'i governor. Get to know some amazing Pacific Islander folks and meet these Pasifika artists/activists, check out these lists of Pasifika books to read and this thread of Pasifika artists! Into podcasts? Check out these podcasts! Here's a list of films to peruse via IMDB. Be sure to check out their works and support and uplift them in any way you can.

Help raise awareness and free Palestine from Israel's apartheid and settler colonization by protesting, donating to Palestinian mutual aid and recovery funds, demanding your elected officials to cut ties with Israel and to pass H.R. 2590 (for U.S.), get involved in the BDS movement, and educate yourself and family members via DecolonizePalestine. More ways to help on palestinematters.carrd.co

Resources + educational tools on what's going on around the world right now and ways to help: worldissues.carrd.co | issuesintheworld.carrd.co | getinformed.carrd.co | currentinfo.carrd.co | dotherightthing.carrd.co
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