Silence Is My Mother Tongue is a novel by Sulaiman Addonia, published October 25, 2018 by Graywolf Press.
The concept of "silence" being a "mother tongue" comes from Addonia's experience as a child refugee.
"[5] When he was enrolled in a Sudanese school, his connection to his native languages dwindled, and by the time he moved to Saudi Arabia, he was fluent in Arabic.
[5]Although learning English allowed him to connect with others in his new location, it also meant he could no longer understand his family, another reminder of their separation.
[9] Kirkus Reviews called the book "[a] memorable chronicle about 'the bitterness of exile' and the endurance of the spirit."