RECOMMENDED BOOK:

HANDS OF MY FATHER: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents and the Language of Love
by Myron Uhlberg

From the time he was a preschooler, the author served as a link to the outside world for his deaf parents. In the 1930s, people usually referred to them as "dummies".

Although his father worked during the Great Depression, he needed help for "simple" things like shopping for food. Vegetables, f ruit, meat, fish, and dairy products had to be purchased separately since supermarkets didn't exist then, This involved asking for each item, which Uhlberg did.

The author's baby brother had frequent seizures and Uhlberg accompanied his parents to hospital emergency rooms frequently....traveling by bus. Then he served as translator explaining to physicians what had happened.

Uhlberg's parents loved their children and provided them with as normal a life as possible, taking them to Dodger games, shopping for birthday presents, etc.

The book is a sensitive, down-to-earth description of a difficult life eye-opener that reveals the difficulties faced by deaf people. It has its humorous moments too, such as a description of what happened when Uhlberg tried experimenting with a chemistry set without reading the instructions first.

Uhlberg has previously written childrens books. This is his first book for adults.....but is highly recommended for young people also.