A review by nadjatiktinsky
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

This book! WOW! By far the best debut I've read in a long time. Historical fiction set on Martha's Vineyard in the early 1800's, where protagonist Mary is a member of the large Deaf community on the island. Deafness has always seemed normal to the islanders, who are all fluent in sign language, and Mary is unaware of the abusive treatment and low social status suffered by the Deaf on the American mainland. As tensions over land disputes between the English settlers and the Wampanoag native to the island become increasingly fraught, a scientist arrives and begins to investigate the cause of the islanders' deafness. Suddenly, Mary's world is ripped from underneath her feet, and she is rudely awakened to the devastation caused by prejudice. I can't stress enough how well-written this book is. It was particularly interesting how the characters' signing influenced the otherwise traditionally colonial tone of the book.