Painter of Silence

I enjoyed Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding which is set in Romania before and after World War II.  A very ill man is found at a hospital and admitted.  The staff find he is a deaf mute and unable to communicate.  One of the nurses, Safta, recognises him as Augustin who grew up on her family's estate before the War.  She is not sure what to do with him.  Augustin communicates through his very detailed drawings and tries to explain what happened to him after Safta and her family left their home as the War closed in.  This is a charming story, quite beautifully written.  This book was shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2012. 4/5