Book Review by Ms. Brown
Myron Uhlberg had deaf parents - and he could hear. He was born in 1933 and grew up during the Great Depression. Unlike today, when American Sign Language is recognized and used by most deaf people,
when he was a child, deaf people were thought to be dumb and mostly ignored. That is not true and his parents were smart, kind and loving and created a wonderful home for Myron and his brother Irwin.
Being a hearing child in a deaf family was both difficult and eye-opening. When Irwin got sick and needed medical attention, Myron had to interpret the doctor's questions and orders for his scared and worried parents. He often tried to get out of trouble by not interpreting exactly what the teacher was saying to his parents! For a long time, Myron would get embarrassed by signing for his parents in public. He gradually realized how important his help was. His parents were always appreciative of Myron's help, and when he got a scholarship to Brandeis University, they were so proud of his achievement of being the first in the family to go to college. This is a very entertaining memoir about growing up and being different, and finding the place where you fit - in Myron's case, in both the hearing and deaf worlds.
This is a young reader adaptation of Uhlberg's memoir, Hands of My Father.
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