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lastminute's review
4.0
I'd heard about this book before, but it seemed particularly appropriate to pick it up now, since CSUN has a large deaf student population. So far, so good.
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Final assessment: I really liked it - and felt like I gained some insight into the deaf community (I mean, not an expert or anything, but some basic courtesies to use when dealing with deaf folks). Plus the stories of the historical treatment of deaf folks just about broke my heart.
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Final assessment: I really liked it - and felt like I gained some insight into the deaf community (I mean, not an expert or anything, but some basic courtesies to use when dealing with deaf folks). Plus the stories of the historical treatment of deaf folks just about broke my heart.
jachin_heckman's review
4.0
Well written. Learned some stuff about a culture I previously knew very little about.
shanakil's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.75
I had to read this book for school and while I was expecting the style of writing to be pretty standard I was taken aback by Cohen's descriptions of the different deaf children she encounters. I was immersed by their stories and Cohen's words brought awareness to who they were as individuals/souls and their experiences which I could feel right through the pages.
kstericker's review
5.0
A fantastic exploration of Deaf culture and the nuances of the contentious issues the community grapples with. Cohen writes with insight and sensitivity, and her prose made the students' stories as engrossing as any novel. I particularly appreciated the diverse perspectives she presented regarding the appropriate role for hearing people in predominantly Deaf spaces.
dasani's review
3.0
I enjoyed it a lot, but it often felt very self indulgent. Lots of "ohh I am hearing and can't connect with what I did as a child". I think if it had been recommended more as a memoir of this one woman and less as an insight into Deaf culture I wouldn't have been as critical and irritated, though I also wouldn't have been as interested to read.
hkat's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book to think about in the context of who gets to tell the stories of a specific community, and especially resonates with the part of the book where the author talks about how sign language is the only language where interpreters are not (or very rarely) native speakers of one of the languages. Hager Cohen clearly has a deep connection to the community, and recognizes the
I appreciated the insight into a variety of aspects of the Deaf community, and the look at the intersectionality between deafness, race, country of origin, class, etc.
My biggest issue with the book is the (beautifully) descriptive language throughout. It's not clear that the author was present, and to describe the sights, sounds, smells of many moments often caused me to stop and wonder about how the book was written. Even interviewing some of the subjects would not have resulted in details like crescents of sweat around a parent's eyes. I think these details really add to the atmosphere of the book, but seem out of place.
I appreciated the insight into a variety of aspects of the Deaf community, and the look at the intersectionality between deafness, race, country of origin, class, etc.
My biggest issue with the book is the (beautifully) descriptive language throughout. It's not clear that the author was present, and to describe the sights, sounds, smells of many moments often caused me to stop and wonder about how the book was written. Even interviewing some of the subjects would not have resulted in details like crescents of sweat around a parent's eyes. I think these details really add to the atmosphere of the book, but seem out of place.
colleenish's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic and compelling stories about the heartbreak and wonder of the hearing world.