This original and captivating near-future novel in scrapbook form beautifully illustrates the truth that we are all more than our most notable features. Piper McBride is Deaf. She's also an artist, an Australian, a teenager exploring her sexuality and a budding activist finding ways to stand up to authority when what the authority offers is no longer enough.
For 16-year-old Piper, being Deaf has always been something to keep tamped down so that she can fit in to the "normal" world. She lipreads and wears hearing aids, even though the effort to keep up with conversations is exhausting and gives her headaches. Her mom is a scientist who researches the nutritional supplements and drugs included in the government-backed packaged food product now recommended in lieu of dangerous "wild" food. When Piper encounters a community of wild food gardeners, environmental activists and people who are Deaf and proud, she is terrified and thrilled.
Australian author Asphyxia (Grimstones series) imbues her novel with many of her own experiences and passions: Deaf culture, sustainable living, art and graffiti. The Words in My Hands is jam-packed with Piper's artwork as well as ideas about challenging the status quo. In the riveting author's note, Asphyxia offers tips on relating to Deaf people, as well as inspiring suggestions for creating art journals. Her keen and thoughtful way of incorporating Piper's Deafness into the narrative may be revelatory to hearing readers and bolstering to Deaf readers, who tend to be under-represented in literature. Brilliant! --Emilie Coulter