Amy Signs

September 1, 2012

Willman was born profoundly deaf in 1969 and, here, her mother, Gernon, paints a vivid picture of fitting a 16-month-old with hearing aides and learning American Sign Language from library books. Gernon shares her battle to obtain residential education for Willman at the Nebraska School for the Deaf (NSD) as well as her feelings of guilt, fear, and pride in her "favorite daughter, who just happens to be deaf." Willman tells her side of the story, too: her hatred for the hearing aides and her joy in life at NSD. Now a special education lecturer at the University of Nebraska and an irrepressible traveler, Willman does not allow her deafness to define her. She states, "Shooting for the stars is not enough; I'm going for the universe!" VERDICT Willman's life story parallels the story of the birth of disability rights and deaf culture. The book unfortunately lacks an introductory explanation of deaf grammar and sentence structure; to the uninitiated, Willman's writing may feel awkward. Recommended reading for parents of deaf children and anyone interested in education, disability rights, and deaf culture.--Virginia Johnson, Weymouth P.L., MA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.