Growing Up Black and Deaf in the South
August 1, 1999
%% This is a multi-book review: SEE also the title "Alandra's Lilacs." %% Here are two titles that characterize aspects of the deaf experience.In 1967, Bowers, a hearing teen, without a high-school diploma, bore a deaf child in a small Illinois town. Now a fulfilled grandmother, Bowers remembers the heart-wrenching educational decisions made during a troubled marriage. A two-year college degree, a responsible job, and a new husband helped her through cross-country moves and school changes for her beloved Alandra. Originally part of an oral parent/infant program and later a convert to sign, the motivated mother faced questions of local versus residential placement, lack of extended family acceptance, and needless medical misunderstandings.Writing from a different perspective, Wright describes how her hearing deteriorated over a period of two years, starting at the age of eight. The love of her close-knit farm family helped her adjust to the school for the deaf and blind that educated blacks only. Thoughtfully expressed experiences permeate this compelling book; Wright's social interactions are very interesting, although the school recollections are a bit repetitive. The lack of vocational advice given to Mary is somewhat surprising, but during World War II times were different. Both titles illuminate important issues for hearing and deaf audiences. ((Reviewed August 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)