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mmassary's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very inspiring story about a child who has a hearing disability. It was a requirement for my ASL class in college, but I ended up really enjoying the read. It is an ideal example of how parents must advocate for their children, special needs or not. This is a must read for parents of hearing disabled children or anyone who works with them.
megan_rang's review against another edition
5.0
As a teacher of the Deaf I still see this happening when parents are hearing and have a Deaf child. They are pushed away from sign language and told that it will make the child dumb. In reality that is the exact opposite. I am happy there are books like this to show other parents what can really come from a child having a strong first language in ASL!
mattdube's review against another edition
3.0
An almost absurdly straight-forward memoir of a family with a deaf daughter-- this is full of interesting insight and answers all those questions I never knew to ask-- never even thought there were questions to ask-- about being deaf, growing up deaf and needing to be educated in a reasonably modern school system. This is no Helen Keller story, but it's still pretty shocking. And Spradley and this story are in the middle of what feels like a huge turning point in deaf history, addressing directly the causes and results of the focus on "oral culture," the idea that deaf students could learn to speak even if they couldn't hear. Of course that's kind of crazy, when you think about it, but who would? And the idea is given a decent amount of play here, before we get to the reversal, three quarters of the book through, when sign language appears.
It's a lot like a conversion story, in terms of its structure and the way it tries to persuade us. And it's also so direct that it has an artless feel, even though its in the shape of a narrative. It does read well, but you never forget that the art of this is secondary to the main ideas it wants to communicate. And that means that there are weird moments here, like the emphasis on the animal nature of deaf people trying to use oral language-- this recurs often, and is especially poignant and awkward when it comes up at the end, in a scene in Vegas when a kid is trapped in this animal life because his parents won't let him sign. It's weird, I'll say that.
The title gets explained in the text of the book-- it's something the deaf daughter of the narrator says when she realizes other people are like her-- but for me at least, the shadow of "Black Like Me" hung over this book, in a not-pleasant way.
It's a lot like a conversion story, in terms of its structure and the way it tries to persuade us. And it's also so direct that it has an artless feel, even though its in the shape of a narrative. It does read well, but you never forget that the art of this is secondary to the main ideas it wants to communicate. And that means that there are weird moments here, like the emphasis on the animal nature of deaf people trying to use oral language-- this recurs often, and is especially poignant and awkward when it comes up at the end, in a scene in Vegas when a kid is trapped in this animal life because his parents won't let him sign. It's weird, I'll say that.
The title gets explained in the text of the book-- it's something the deaf daughter of the narrator says when she realizes other people are like her-- but for me at least, the shadow of "Black Like Me" hung over this book, in a not-pleasant way.
oliviakt07's review against another edition
4.0
When I first saw this book as required reading for my Deaf Interpretive Services (DIS) and American Sign Language (ASL) classes I was taken aback a bit due to the date the book was released. Over thirty-five years later, how could this dated account provide any insight to the modern Deaf experience of our future students and clients?
In short, it can offer more than plenty. In short, you need the origin to understand, explain, and reshape the future for the better.
Thomas and Louise Spradley, like man before and since, are parents who desire a connection with their children. Their love and admiration is not unfamiliar as a child, or as someone who has children similar to nieces and nephews in one's own life. We can feel for their sense of loss and uncertainty as they discover that life is not always a cookie cutter image, and thoughts and plans must change and evolve over time.
But like the paraphrased saying goes, "Hearing loss to Deaf gain"!
Although those who experienced, know of, or have studied the devoutness and strictness of the oralism and speech approach (and apprehension of any manual language) will be fuming at times 'watching' Tom and Louise subject Lynn to these environments, we must remember that even today it is often the first form of reassurance for new parents. Many come to see what matters more for their child and family (the act of COMMUNICATION), and luckily Tom and Louise see that in how Lynn blossoms brightly by the end of the last two chapters compared to the hurdles in the previous eighteen.
Everyone has the right to their prefered communication method, and it should be their choice and their choice alone after exposure to various methods. Lynn was incredibly fortunate to have parents who were able to be human, and learn and grow from the experience too.
While there will be more added to this review, I will end with how glad I am that I did read this book now (Spring 2020) and that it's encouraging message continues to show parents, children, and educators that to be understood and appreciated does not depend on your ability to speak. Your intelligence does not depend on your auditory vocabulary and skills. Your heart is only limited to the ways you can express it, and may you be limitless in how you express any and all of it.
In short, it can offer more than plenty. In short, you need the origin to understand, explain, and reshape the future for the better.
Thomas and Louise Spradley, like man before and since, are parents who desire a connection with their children. Their love and admiration is not unfamiliar as a child, or as someone who has children similar to nieces and nephews in one's own life. We can feel for their sense of loss and uncertainty as they discover that life is not always a cookie cutter image, and thoughts and plans must change and evolve over time.
But like the paraphrased saying goes, "Hearing loss to Deaf gain"!
Although those who experienced, know of, or have studied the devoutness and strictness of the oralism and speech approach (and apprehension of any manual language) will be fuming at times 'watching' Tom and Louise subject Lynn to these environments, we must remember that even today it is often the first form of reassurance for new parents. Many come to see what matters more for their child and family (the act of COMMUNICATION), and luckily Tom and Louise see that in how Lynn blossoms brightly by the end of the last two chapters compared to the hurdles in the previous eighteen.
Everyone has the right to their prefered communication method, and it should be their choice and their choice alone after exposure to various methods. Lynn was incredibly fortunate to have parents who were able to be human, and learn and grow from the experience too.
While there will be more added to this review, I will end with how glad I am that I did read this book now (Spring 2020) and that it's encouraging message continues to show parents, children, and educators that to be understood and appreciated does not depend on your ability to speak. Your intelligence does not depend on your auditory vocabulary and skills. Your heart is only limited to the ways you can express it, and may you be limitless in how you express any and all of it.
graycatbird's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
lyndsmarie321's review against another edition
5.0
At first this book frustrated me but I tried to keep an open mind considering it was a narrative based in the 60s and the times were different. But FINALLY by the end, Lynn's parents accepted that communication/language does not have to be speech. Language can be signs or pictures! Yay for ASL! Lynn's epilogue was also a nice way to end the story. Very insightful book about how deaf culture has evolved over the years.
sassyykassie's review against another edition
5.0
this is a nonfiction book about Thomas Spradley and his family's struggles as they learn how to raise their Deaf child, Lynn. I found this story frustrating, heartwarming, and in the end beautiful. last 4th or so made me tear up a few times.
stephaniereads9b0f8's review against another edition
4.0
I cannot believe how badly they treated deaf children not so long ago...