****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
When the character of Helen Keller (the only deafblind person most of us know of) utters the word "wa-wa" at the climax of 'The Miracle Worker,' a door between worlds is unlocked. It an almost unbearably touching, cathartic moment.But that door between worlds has always seemed to open in one direction.Blair Fell (disclosure: he's a friend), a writer and ASL interpreter, is offering passage in the other direction, an invitation to experience the deafblind reality. Here's some good advice: jump at it.(Sign for 'invite' or 'welcome' - hold right hand, palm facing up, out and slightly to the side, then move it closer to your body.)That "what's it like?" question has always seemed so impolite, so intrusive. Rude and insensitive. But Fell ushers us right past those insecurities and deposits us directly in the reality of Arlo Dilly, a deafblind man of 23 and the most immediately appealing fictional protagonist it's ever been my pleasure to meet.Arlo is painfully sheltered, kept away from the world by his cruel guardian, a strict uncle and rabid Jehovah's Witness.Things begin to change when, in his quest to improve his communication skills, he enrolls at a writing course at a local college and makes the acquaintance of an interpreter named Cyril, a middle-aged gay man with wounds of his own to lick.The chapters switch between POVs: Arlo's (written in the second person - a brilliant decision that puts the reader as close to 'in his shoes' as one could ever hope to be) and the first person chapters told by Cyril, and it's the sort of reading experience you simply fall into. It's endlessly fascinating. It's emotionally involving. The stakes are high.And throughout, Fell describes the ASL signs for key words - a lovely, meaningful touch.More than all of that, it's an education. By the end of it, the reader has at least a big chunk of an answer to the 'what's it like' question, and inevitably, unavoidably, a much deeper sense of empathy for their deaf and deafblind brothers and sisters.On a personal note: it reinforced my belief that raising a child in a radically conservative religious household cannot be considered anything less than abuse.So. As a fellow writer, I'm aware that one tends to dismiss pure praise unless it's seasoned with the slightest hint of criticism, to give the dish a flavor of authenticity. So Blair, here we go.'The Sign for Home' frequently dances close to being formulaic.From the moment the reader meets Arlo and Cyril, they know a bond will grow, obstacles will appear, a quest will happen, love will prevail and victory will be won. Anything different would be both unthinkable and fatal. It sticks to that formula we all know by touch.But to my mind that's a tiny criticism about a novel that keeps you riveted, cheering, and frequently in happy tears. After all, many of the classics stick to that formula.We know Rocky will prevail, Mister Smith will conquer Washington. So what? They are heroes doing a hero's job.That sunset's not going to ride into itself.Representation is the name of the game and this warm, generous novel gives us the hero we didn't know we needed.And it's Arlo's turn to be Rocky. SMILE.
