Kambri Crews

Well-written and poignant, this memoir was a nice change from my usual biographical fare, which is mostly comprised of mental illness treatises and rape survivor stories.

Kambri Crews grew up a hearing child with deaf parents, so the reader is treated to an interesting and valuable education about the Deaf community. Ostensibly, though, that's not what the book is about. Kambri is not deaf, and although being Deaf is a large part of her parents' identity, this is her memoir, not theirs. In the end, it's the story of an abusive childhood at the hands of a predatory father and a battered mother. How deeply these problems run and how profoundly they shaped Kambri's childhood isn't really clear until the end. The majority of the book lives up to the Jeannette Walls/The Glass Castle comparison, although this memoir offers insight and ruminations rather than just a linear account of unusual childhood circumstances. (I would recommend this over The Glass Castle in terms of appeal as a good read.)

One small aside -- a nitpick: at the beginning, the author makes a big deal out of recounting her mother's "deaf, not dumb" slogan; as in, "deaf, not unintelligent." "Dumb" was originally slang for "mute," and deaf people sometimes are mute -- as in not communicating via voice. I would never use the phrase because it does have a negative connotation, but equating "dumb" in the phrase "deaf not dumb" with "stupid" is inaccurate from what I understand. Dumb = mute.… (altro)

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I had completely forgotten about it until I pulled some books out of hiding. I personally thought the beginning was slow but I realized at the end that the author was creating a slow roll to the grand finale. Crews actually did a good job and it was well worth the read to learn about ASL and to experience her personal writing style, but it isn't a book I Would recommend to most or one I'd be eager to re readmany times. It was just a pleasant evening read. I do recommend it if you're looking for something different.… (altro)