The raging quiet - Sherryl Jordan

This is the story of two outsiders in medieval times. Both are set apart from their small community: Marnie because she is a newcomer, brought to the seaside village by her new - and much older - husband, and Raver because he is the village lunatic.
The distrust surrounding Marnie increases when her husband suddenly dies. Her subsequent isolation pushes her towards Raver - and an important discovery: the villagers have mistaken his deafness for madness.
The two outsiders soon develop a rudimentary sign language. But their precious new friendship is cut short when the villagers misconstrue their strange, private communication, and put Marnie on trial for witchcraft...
Suspenseful, tender and compassionate, The Raging Quiet effortlessly draws the reader into a chilling world of bigotry, ignorance and self-righteousness. Despite the historical setting, it is a world that is still all too recognisable as our own.