Link to buy Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman's Story of Identity, Love, and Adoption
Story Rating: 4 out of 5
Review:
Finding Zoe is a
memoir about the life of author Brandi Rarus, a woman who lost her hearing as a
child then went on to become Miss Deaf America, have three sons with normal
hearing, and adopt a little girl who is deaf. Throughout her life, Rarus
experiences communication problems in her dealings with members of the hearing
community, but it's not until she embraces the deaf community that she can finally
communicate freely with others.
This book runs the gamut of Rarus's life, from her childhood
through college, the beauty pageant days, and her eventual marriage and family
life. It addresses the triumphs and tragedies of having children, both the
biological and adopted varieties. There's also background here about the
history of deaf culture in the United States and the education of deaf
children.
Surprisingly, a substantial portion of Finding Zoe focuses on Zoe's birth parents, the circumstances of
her conception, and the series of decisions that ultimately led to her becoming
a member of Rarus's family. This is a meaningful addition to the book because
it enables readers to understand how disparate threads came together in
improbable ways to create a lovely tapestry. In this case, tragedies like
unplanned pregnancy, illness, and family strife were all necessary in order to
achieve the ideal outcome: A family becoming complete with the addition of a
beautiful little girl.
Overall, this book is well written and seems like a good choice
for readers interested in deaf culture or adopting a special needs child. Readers
who simply enjoy a memoir that exposes them to a different way of life might
also want to pick up a copy. This reviewer's concern is that Finding Zoe's appeal might be limited
because of the book's emphasis on the deaf community and the special challenges
of adopting. If a reader isn't interested in either of those subjects, they
might keep walking past Zoe in the
bookstore.
Reviewed by Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment