What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sign for Home
Longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
When a young DeafBlind man learns the girl he thought was lost forever might still be out there, he embarks on a life-changing journey to find her—and his freedom.
Arlo Dilly is young, handsome, and eager to meet the right girl. He also happens to be DeafBlind, a Jehovah’s Witness, and under the strict guardianship of his controlling uncle. His chances of finding someone to love seem slim to none.
And yet, it happened once many years ago, at a boarding school for the Deaf, Arlo met the love of his life—a mysterious girl with onyx eyes and beautifully expressive hands which told him the most amazing stories. But tragedy struck, and their love was lost forever.
Or so Arlo thought.
After years trying to heal his broken heart, Arlo is assigned a college writing assignment which unlocks buried memories of his past. Soon he wonders if the hearing people he was supposed to trust have been lying to him all along, and if his lost love might be found again.
No longer willing to accept what others tell him, Arlo convinces a small band of misfit friends to set off on a journey to learn the truth. After all, who better to bring on this quest than his gay interpreter and wildly inappropriate Belgian best friend? Despite the many forces working against him, Arlo will stop at nothing to find the girl who got away and experience all of life’s joyful possibilities.
When a young DeafBlind man learns the girl he thought was lost forever might still be out there, he embarks on a life-changing journey to find her—and his freedom.
Arlo Dilly is young, handsome, and eager to meet the right girl. He also happens to be DeafBlind, a Jehovah’s Witness, and under the strict guardianship of his controlling uncle. His chances of finding someone to love seem slim to none.
And yet, it happened once many years ago, at a boarding school for the Deaf, Arlo met the love of his life—a mysterious girl with onyx eyes and beautifully expressive hands which told him the most amazing stories. But tragedy struck, and their love was lost forever.
Or so Arlo thought.
After years trying to heal his broken heart, Arlo is assigned a college writing assignment which unlocks buried memories of his past. Soon he wonders if the hearing people he was supposed to trust have been lying to him all along, and if his lost love might be found again.
No longer willing to accept what others tell him, Arlo convinces a small band of misfit friends to set off on a journey to learn the truth. After all, who better to bring on this quest than his gay interpreter and wildly inappropriate Belgian best friend? Despite the many forces working against him, Arlo will stop at nothing to find the girl who got away and experience all of life’s joyful possibilities.
404 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
About the author
Blair Fell
2 books179 followersBlair Fell writes and lives in New York City. Blair’s television work includes Queer as Folk, and the Emmy Award–winning California Connected. He’s written dozens of plays including the award-winning plays Naked Will, The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, and the downtown cult miniseries Burning Habits. His personal essays have appeared in HuffPost, Out, Daily News (New York), and more. He’s a two-time winner of the prestigious Doris Lippman Prize in Creative Writing from the City College of New York, including for his early unfinished draft of The Sign for Home. Concurrently with being a writer, Blair has been an ASL interpreter for the Deaf since 1993, and has also worked as an actor, producer, and director.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,434 reviews
May 4, 2022
Another book awakened many different feelings and left me speechless! I laughed hard! I dabbed my tears! I got angry and felt so sad at several chapters! And after reading the ending: I relieved and smiled!
This is heartwarming and also thought provoking journey of a man who is DeafBlind/ Deaf teaming up with his interpreter Cyril by rejecting to be controlled by his uncle who lied to him about his love of his life!
Arlo, only 23 years old, learning to fight against the obstacles life has thrown his way! He needs to find his own wings to freely fly to fulfill his destiny!
After his mother’s sudden death, he’s stuck with strict rules of Brother Birch and his high expectations! Now he finds out the love of his life is alive : that mysterious girl with onyx eyes and beautiful expressive hands, a clever mind that creating amazing stories to tell him is alive! They met in boarding school he’s attended many years ago and he thought he lost her forever!
Now he needs his second chance to find his happiness and he needs his unconventional, polar opposite interpreter and his peculiar Belgian boyfriend to accompany him for being his eyes and his ears!
The sweet friendship, tight bounding of the people who seem like truly opposites truly warmed my heart. Also the educative approach to the daily changes the disabled people encounter in the world were so realistically written.
It broke my heart but it also made me smile and gave me hope. This book definitely touches your heart!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
This is heartwarming and also thought provoking journey of a man who is DeafBlind/ Deaf teaming up with his interpreter Cyril by rejecting to be controlled by his uncle who lied to him about his love of his life!
Arlo, only 23 years old, learning to fight against the obstacles life has thrown his way! He needs to find his own wings to freely fly to fulfill his destiny!
After his mother’s sudden death, he’s stuck with strict rules of Brother Birch and his high expectations! Now he finds out the love of his life is alive : that mysterious girl with onyx eyes and beautiful expressive hands, a clever mind that creating amazing stories to tell him is alive! They met in boarding school he’s attended many years ago and he thought he lost her forever!
Now he needs his second chance to find his happiness and he needs his unconventional, polar opposite interpreter and his peculiar Belgian boyfriend to accompany him for being his eyes and his ears!
The sweet friendship, tight bounding of the people who seem like truly opposites truly warmed my heart. Also the educative approach to the daily changes the disabled people encounter in the world were so realistically written.
It broke my heart but it also made me smile and gave me hope. This book definitely touches your heart!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
August 7, 2022
There’s so much to love in The Sign for Home. Arlo Dilly is DeafBlind and a Jehovah’s Witness, and he needs a new interpreter when his path crosses with Cyril. Thank goodness their paths cross because Arlo is living quite the sheltered and even manipulated life by those who communicate with him, including his uncle/guardian and his other interpreter, Molly. Cyril better understands the roles and functions of an interpreter and also how to advocate appropriately for his clients in this role. Arlo only knows what is shared with him by a limited number of people and through that they control him and his every move.
With Cyril at his side, as well as Molly, he begins to take college courses. Eventually, he lets his guard down and shares more about a traumatic experience from when he lived in a residential school, a story that involves his first (and now) love, Shri.
I learned so much about the DeafBlind community from Arlo’s story. I also better learned about interpreter roles and advocacy. The story pulled on every single emotion as I was angry with how Arlo was hurt and manipulated, but then when he was given a second chance at finding his voice, and at love, I rejoiced. The author is an interpreter, and I am so grateful he shared his insights, as well as this heartwarming journey of a story.
By the way, The Sign for Home is the most perfect title for this book. ♥️
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
With Cyril at his side, as well as Molly, he begins to take college courses. Eventually, he lets his guard down and shares more about a traumatic experience from when he lived in a residential school, a story that involves his first (and now) love, Shri.
I learned so much about the DeafBlind community from Arlo’s story. I also better learned about interpreter roles and advocacy. The story pulled on every single emotion as I was angry with how Arlo was hurt and manipulated, but then when he was given a second chance at finding his voice, and at love, I rejoiced. The author is an interpreter, and I am so grateful he shared his insights, as well as this heartwarming journey of a story.
By the way, The Sign for Home is the most perfect title for this book. ♥️
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Read
June 5, 2023Holy wow. This was remarkable.
It's about Arlo, a DeafBlind man, and his tactile interpreter, Cyril. Cyril's chapters are in first person, and talk a lot about both the ethics and the science/art of interpreting, and it's absolutely fascinating. The writing is beautiful, especially in the descriptions of tactile and haptic interpreting, where one interpreter uses all kinds of touch on the DeafBlind person's body to describe what's going on while another translates speech. It's conveyed with wonderful imagery and feeling and real poetry. The author is a DeafBlind interpreter and his obvious depth of understanding is conveyed with marvellous clarity. I can't overstate how well done this is, not just in showing how it works, but in the way it makes us understand how it opens up the world to Arlo.
Arlo's chapters, meanwhile, are told in the second person. I spent a lot of time trying to work out why--I find second person distancing rather than immersive--and I concluded that might be the point. A DeafBlind person's voice is conveyed by an interpreter becoming their voice, and perhaps the second person puts us in that relationship to Arlo--not inside his head as first person would do, but also not outside as in third person. Interpreting his experience. I dunno. Striking in its combination of his very limited experience (deprived by the people around him as much as by his disability) and the insight and wrestling with ideas.
The dialogue is fascinating, especially the way DeafBlind communication is conveyed and translated or transliterated to English, onto which it absolutely does not naturally map because they're completely different languages.
There's some very hard stuff in here. Arlo has suffered a fair bit of abuse in various ways, and the book does a great job of conveying how stifling and terrifying and frustrating his life has been/can be very easily made. It's not trauma porn, though, still less Abled Saviour: Arlo is fiercely determined and his courage drives the plot, dragging along several of the abled characters who were otherwise mostly sitting around feeling sorry for themselves.
It is a bit overlong, especially in the first half--I think mostly because it's establishing Arlo's love affair with a girl at his residential school, for romance heft. This is a bit of a hiding to nothing because let's be honest, nobody actually buys 17yos falling in eternal love with one another, and really this isn't a romance novel. It's a story of Arlo finding his feet once he gets the assistance he needs, and Cyril finding his spine, and a couple of other characters finding their moral cores. The romance is there, but as part of the overall story. Do stick with it, although it does drag a tad around 30%: the story accelerates at about 50% and you will whip through to the hugely satisfying end. Also Arlo's speech to the carer who denied him access to the world is one of the most delightful, enraged fuck-you speeches I've ever read and you don't want to miss it. /loud cheers/
This book is really one of the best examples I've read of how fiction can give you a look inside a different life. Very highly recommended.
It's about Arlo, a DeafBlind man, and his tactile interpreter, Cyril. Cyril's chapters are in first person, and talk a lot about both the ethics and the science/art of interpreting, and it's absolutely fascinating. The writing is beautiful, especially in the descriptions of tactile and haptic interpreting, where one interpreter uses all kinds of touch on the DeafBlind person's body to describe what's going on while another translates speech. It's conveyed with wonderful imagery and feeling and real poetry. The author is a DeafBlind interpreter and his obvious depth of understanding is conveyed with marvellous clarity. I can't overstate how well done this is, not just in showing how it works, but in the way it makes us understand how it opens up the world to Arlo.
Arlo's chapters, meanwhile, are told in the second person. I spent a lot of time trying to work out why--I find second person distancing rather than immersive--and I concluded that might be the point. A DeafBlind person's voice is conveyed by an interpreter becoming their voice, and perhaps the second person puts us in that relationship to Arlo--not inside his head as first person would do, but also not outside as in third person. Interpreting his experience. I dunno. Striking in its combination of his very limited experience (deprived by the people around him as much as by his disability) and the insight and wrestling with ideas.
The dialogue is fascinating, especially the way DeafBlind communication is conveyed and translated or transliterated to English, onto which it absolutely does not naturally map because they're completely different languages.
There's some very hard stuff in here. Arlo has suffered a fair bit of abuse in various ways, and the book does a great job of conveying how stifling and terrifying and frustrating his life has been/can be very easily made. It's not trauma porn, though, still less Abled Saviour: Arlo is fiercely determined and his courage drives the plot, dragging along several of the abled characters who were otherwise mostly sitting around feeling sorry for themselves.
It is a bit overlong, especially in the first half--I think mostly because it's establishing Arlo's love affair with a girl at his residential school, for romance heft. This is a bit of a hiding to nothing because let's be honest, nobody actually buys 17yos falling in eternal love with one another, and really this isn't a romance novel. It's a story of Arlo finding his feet once he gets the assistance he needs, and Cyril finding his spine, and a couple of other characters finding their moral cores. The romance is there, but as part of the overall story. Do stick with it, although it does drag a tad around 30%: the story accelerates at about 50% and you will whip through to the hugely satisfying end. Also Arlo's speech to the carer who denied him access to the world is one of the most delightful, enraged fuck-you speeches I've ever read and you don't want to miss it. /loud cheers/
This book is really one of the best examples I've read of how fiction can give you a look inside a different life. Very highly recommended.
April 8, 2022
This story begins with a chapter entitled Sniff. The details of the smell of things in a room, the smell of the sheets, dust, the various things about the room as well as just outside the room where the smell of the detergent in the washing machine stings Arlo’s nostrils. The tactile sensations follow, the way his thighs stick to the chair made of fiberglass. The smell of the coffee, the leftover crumbs of an old peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Soap. The size of the text on the screen where Arlo is typing a message in 3” tall white letters against a black screen. All the things sighted people take for granted, and so they disappear into the landscape mostly unnoticed. For Arlo who is DeafBlind, writing is difficult because he thinks and converses in American Sign Language, which varies from ASL in how sentences are formed, things like prepositions and tenses, past, present and future.
If that wasn’t enough to create a divide between him and those who can see, speak, and hear (if not actually listen), his mother died when he was nine years old, and he is now under the guardianship of his uncle. An uncle who is insistent on deciding who Arlo is allowed to be exposed to, and who he is not. Arlo is a Jehovah’s Witness, and his uncle is very determined that he will soon be going on a mission - with his uncle, of course.
There was a girl, once upon a time, that he had loved. They met at a boarding school for the Deaf, and fell in love, and she was ripped away from him all too soon, but he has never forgotten her.
When he meets his new translator, Cyril, he begins to see new possibilities for his life. Not only is his new translator someone who will stand up for him and his right to make his own decisions, he is someone who believes in him. Someone who treats him like he is capable of not only making his own decisions, but someone who believes that his abilities are more important than his disabilities. Someone who is also gay, which does not go over well with his guardian when it comes to his attention.
There’s a second translator, as well, Molly, who also happens to be a Jehovah’s Witness and a friend of his Uncle’s. She desperately tries to break the bond that Arlo is forming with Cyril, as she fears that his ‘unholy’ lifestyle will corrupt Arlo. There’s also a bit of jealousy that Cyril’s introducing Arlo to more modern ideas will change him, that if Arlo’s introduced to the world outside their Kingdom Hall that they will lose control over him forever.
When some truths begin to surface, Arlo manages to convince Cyril, Cyril’s best friend Hanne, and others to help him find the truth hidden behind years of lies, in the hope of finding love.
A coming of age story that was unique, entertaining, and engaging without falling under the curse of being twee.
Published: 05 Apr 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Atria/Emily Bestler Books / Simon & Schuster
April 22, 2024
Sometimes there is a book that makes you feel something. You want to reach out and do something or say something or be something because you know that what is happening just doesn’t feel right – and the main character needs somebody to advocate for them. Gratefully somebody does, in his own odd way. And now, you are wondering – what all am I talking about here.
This book is different.
You would think it is going to be a rom-com about a guy who wants to find a girl to love him. But it isn’t necessarily this at all. Or is it, in some sweet way, too?
It is about a DeafBlind man who has in many ways been taken advantage of, expected to believe a certain way, told things that may or may not be true, who wants to have a life, and just might get it.
With this book, there are so many layers to it, so many emotions to it, that it can be an emotional read. A different read.
Let’s root for Arlo the DeafBlind man who is so much more than his disability.
Let’s root for Snap, his guide dog who loves and protects him.
Let’s root for Cyril his interpreter who advocates for him, too.
Let’s root for some type of happy ending.
This book is different.
You would think it is going to be a rom-com about a guy who wants to find a girl to love him. But it isn’t necessarily this at all. Or is it, in some sweet way, too?
It is about a DeafBlind man who has in many ways been taken advantage of, expected to believe a certain way, told things that may or may not be true, who wants to have a life, and just might get it.
With this book, there are so many layers to it, so many emotions to it, that it can be an emotional read. A different read.
Let’s root for Arlo the DeafBlind man who is so much more than his disability.
Let’s root for Snap, his guide dog who loves and protects him.
Let’s root for Cyril his interpreter who advocates for him, too.
Let’s root for some type of happy ending.
January 27, 2022
4.5 rounded to 4 stars
Arlo Dilly is a 23-year-old DeafBlind Jehovah Witness student. Molly is a middle-aged interpreter who also is a Jehovah Witness. Cyril is a red-headed gay DeafBlind interpreter in his mid 40s. Hanne is a 39-year-old Belgian “madwoman.” These are the key characters in The Sign for Home.
The story is told from two viewpoints in alternating chapters. Arlo’s part is told in 2nd person narrative. Cyril’s is written in 1st person. I’m not a fan of 2nd person narrative, but it wasn’t all that hard to adjust to.
The thrust of the story revolves around Arlo’s desire to live his own life and not live under the rules of his strict uncle who wants Arlo “protected” so he can be a voice for Jehovah God. Cyril and Molly both interpret for Arlo but are very different people and do not see eye to eye. Hanne adds flair and daring to the mix.
Arlo also yearns to get out from under the shadows of his past. He was in love once. Well, actually, he is still in love, but his sweetheart is gone forever. He cannot seem to recover from this. He tries his best to move on with the help and the trust he has in the people of his small world, but he just can’t get her out of his mind. Can he ever find peace?
I found this tale to be unique, educational, and very moving. I loved Arlo and Cyril and was amused by Hanne. There are several not so nice characters who are fun to dislike. I learned A LOT about the DeafBlind community, not only regarding their struggles to navigate amongst the seeing-hearing community, but all the various ways they can communicate and sometime live totally independent lives. I found all this very fascinating. I also received a good beginner’s lesson in the Jehovah Witness religion. Arlo’s journey to break free from his stifling restrictions and find his own way to a better life, the life he wants, a life that is sublime, is inspiring in so many ways. It will be a while before I forget Arlo Dilly.
I strongly recommend The Sign for Home for those of you who want to learn something new and to be presented with a wonderful story that will stay in your hearts for a long while.
I wish to thank Emily Bestler of Atria Books, Net Galley, and Blair Fell for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Arlo Dilly is a 23-year-old DeafBlind Jehovah Witness student. Molly is a middle-aged interpreter who also is a Jehovah Witness. Cyril is a red-headed gay DeafBlind interpreter in his mid 40s. Hanne is a 39-year-old Belgian “madwoman.” These are the key characters in The Sign for Home.
The story is told from two viewpoints in alternating chapters. Arlo’s part is told in 2nd person narrative. Cyril’s is written in 1st person. I’m not a fan of 2nd person narrative, but it wasn’t all that hard to adjust to.
The thrust of the story revolves around Arlo’s desire to live his own life and not live under the rules of his strict uncle who wants Arlo “protected” so he can be a voice for Jehovah God. Cyril and Molly both interpret for Arlo but are very different people and do not see eye to eye. Hanne adds flair and daring to the mix.
Arlo also yearns to get out from under the shadows of his past. He was in love once. Well, actually, he is still in love, but his sweetheart is gone forever. He cannot seem to recover from this. He tries his best to move on with the help and the trust he has in the people of his small world, but he just can’t get her out of his mind. Can he ever find peace?
I found this tale to be unique, educational, and very moving. I loved Arlo and Cyril and was amused by Hanne. There are several not so nice characters who are fun to dislike. I learned A LOT about the DeafBlind community, not only regarding their struggles to navigate amongst the seeing-hearing community, but all the various ways they can communicate and sometime live totally independent lives. I found all this very fascinating. I also received a good beginner’s lesson in the Jehovah Witness religion. Arlo’s journey to break free from his stifling restrictions and find his own way to a better life, the life he wants, a life that is sublime, is inspiring in so many ways. It will be a while before I forget Arlo Dilly.
I strongly recommend The Sign for Home for those of you who want to learn something new and to be presented with a wonderful story that will stay in your hearts for a long while.
I wish to thank Emily Bestler of Atria Books, Net Galley, and Blair Fell for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
April 11, 2022
The cover of the book looked a lot like the typical romcom cover and I was excited to read about a deaf-mute person. Although the story was so much more than I expected. Not only was the plot so emersive and the characters easy to get attached to but I definitely learned a lot I didn't knew before without sounding info dumping. It had a clear intro, than love theme and ended in a thriller kind of way that had me on the edge of my seat. It was a book full of emotions, I both laughed and got emotional. I'm so eager to read more from Blair Fell in the future.
January 3, 2022
I love coming of age stories and breaking free stories. This is one like no other that I have read before. The representation of deaf and blind community...it's about time. There were a few things here and there that may bother some readers who pick up on it. All in all though, I would be so happy to see more books that have characters representing all people. Representation truly matters.
June 26, 2022
4.5 Stars ✨
By profession, I am an advocate. I believe 100% that everyone deserves a voice. EVERYONE. So, the journey I took with this book, just about did me in. Issues of autonomy, ignorance, deceit, inaccessibility and injustice made my blood boil. And yet….what a story. Tragic, but tremendous!
By profession, I am an advocate. I believe 100% that everyone deserves a voice. EVERYONE. So, the journey I took with this book, just about did me in. Issues of autonomy, ignorance, deceit, inaccessibility and injustice made my blood boil. And yet….what a story. Tragic, but tremendous!
December 23, 2022
*4.5 stars rounded up. One of my favorite reading experiences is one that expands my knowledge of the human experience. From the cover, one might expect this to be a rom-com but it's so much more.
Arlo Dilly is a young man who is DeafBlind and a Jehovah's Witness. His uncle, who is called Brother Birch, has been appointed Arlo's guardian because of an incident at school five years ago. He tries to control Arlo's access to the world, grooming Arlo for a JW mission to Ecuador and filling the boy's head with messages of guilt, sin and damnation. We hear Arlo's personal point of view in second person narrative as he yearns to be free to experience life fully.
The other narrator is Arlo's new ASL interpreter, Cyril, who is gay and agnostic, and soon realizes how little his young client knows about the world around him because of his uncle's restrictions and lies. When Arlo reveals the heartbreaking story of his first love, Cyril wants to help but is torn between his profession's ethical rigidity and empathetic advocacy. Which will win out?
This debut novel brought the experience of being DeafBlind to me in ways I've never considered before--especially how much they have to rely on the people who interpret the world for them. The story is heartbreaking, frustrating and funny in equal measures. Arlo is brave, willful, and stubborn and an absolute delight to meet. I am grateful to the author and publisher for offering me an arc of this novel via NetGalley. I apologize for the delay in getting it read. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Arlo Dilly is a young man who is DeafBlind and a Jehovah's Witness. His uncle, who is called Brother Birch, has been appointed Arlo's guardian because of an incident at school five years ago. He tries to control Arlo's access to the world, grooming Arlo for a JW mission to Ecuador and filling the boy's head with messages of guilt, sin and damnation. We hear Arlo's personal point of view in second person narrative as he yearns to be free to experience life fully.
The other narrator is Arlo's new ASL interpreter, Cyril, who is gay and agnostic, and soon realizes how little his young client knows about the world around him because of his uncle's restrictions and lies. When Arlo reveals the heartbreaking story of his first love, Cyril wants to help but is torn between his profession's ethical rigidity and empathetic advocacy. Which will win out?
This debut novel brought the experience of being DeafBlind to me in ways I've never considered before--especially how much they have to rely on the people who interpret the world for them. The story is heartbreaking, frustrating and funny in equal measures. Arlo is brave, willful, and stubborn and an absolute delight to meet. I am grateful to the author and publisher for offering me an arc of this novel via NetGalley. I apologize for the delay in getting it read. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 9, 2022
First off, this book should not be marketed as a romance based on the last 100 pages of the book. Instead, it is an unique, coming-of-age book about friendship between a DeafBlind man named Arlo and his interpreter.
The Sign for Home starts out at a very slow-pace, which could be discouraging if not in the right mindset. Yet, I am glad I continued to read as I learned about the different types of sign languages used to communication devices and resources now available to real-life challenges for the DeafBlind community. The author, who is an ASL interpreter himself, did an amazing job educating the reader.
Arlo's journey towards independence and self-confidence may be fictional, but I do not believe he is the first disabled person to be "sheltered" from real-life by their caregivers who assumed they knew best. It should be noted that religion is brought up throughout this book as Arlo and his caregivers are Jeohovah's Witnesses and are not often portrayed in a positive light. It often me uncomfortable, but I am hoping the author included this into the story to advance the journey and to stress how sheltered/socially withdrawn Arlo was from the rest of the DeafBlind community, and not to speak ill of a religion.
Thank you to @Netgalley and @atriabook for this advanced copy. It is set to publish on 4/5/2022!
The Sign for Home starts out at a very slow-pace, which could be discouraging if not in the right mindset. Yet, I am glad I continued to read as I learned about the different types of sign languages used to communication devices and resources now available to real-life challenges for the DeafBlind community. The author, who is an ASL interpreter himself, did an amazing job educating the reader.
Arlo's journey towards independence and self-confidence may be fictional, but I do not believe he is the first disabled person to be "sheltered" from real-life by their caregivers who assumed they knew best. It should be noted that religion is brought up throughout this book as Arlo and his caregivers are Jeohovah's Witnesses and are not often portrayed in a positive light. It often me uncomfortable, but I am hoping the author included this into the story to advance the journey and to stress how sheltered/socially withdrawn Arlo was from the rest of the DeafBlind community, and not to speak ill of a religion.
Thank you to @Netgalley and @atriabook for this advanced copy. It is set to publish on 4/5/2022!
May 9, 2022
My heart was shattered and healed again after reading this wonderful book. The emotional landscape I went into, stirred up so many memories, good and bad. I’m impressed by the authors ability to describe humans, creating real characters that you will love and invest in. The story was so beautiful and relatable. The characters made me feel proud when they overcame challenges, growing as they did. I simply loved this book and will remember it forever.
April 18, 2022
This is an extraordinary book. An incredible roller coaster of emotions. It is like nothing I have ever read. A story that offers a unique window into a world most of us do not know and will never know first hand but probably fear. I laughed at the abundance of self-deprecating humour as much I was enraged on behalf of the injustice Arlo and
ALL
of his mates face.
Blair Fell's writing voice is remarkable, and I highly recommend his Audible narration. He conveys Arlo's inquisitive nature and inspiring spirit in a light-hearted and profound way. I love books like this! Books that really make you think and challenge your preconceived ideas about how other people outside your personal experiences live. This novel will always remain close to my heart.
Blair Fell's writing voice is remarkable, and I highly recommend his Audible narration. He conveys Arlo's inquisitive nature and inspiring spirit in a light-hearted and profound way. I love books like this! Books that really make you think and challenge your preconceived ideas about how other people outside your personal experiences live. This novel will always remain close to my heart.
August 24, 2024
DNF
DISGUSTING BOOK
I do not want to read a book that goes on snd on about jacking off and sticky pee 🤮
DISGUSTING BOOK
I do not want to read a book that goes on snd on about jacking off and sticky pee 🤮
March 9, 2022
4.5 stars
CW: death of loved ones (past, cancer), grief, alcoholism, loneliness, bullying (past), homophobia, abuse, language deprivation, paralysis resulting from fall, discussion/allegations of rape, religious shame, ableism
The Sign for Home has consumed all my thoughts for the last few days. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next, but I also purposefully slowed down so that I could savor every word. This is such a unique and heartfelt coming of age novel. It is not a light romcom or really a romance. There is a second chance romance subplot, but the heart of the story is one of friendship, discovery, and independence.
Things I loved:
- The representation. Representation matters.
- I found the book to be very educational. I learned quite a bit about the DeafBlind community, accessibility, ASL syntax, Tactile ASL, Screen Braille Communicator (SBC), Protactile, and Haptics. I found the ethical conflicts and rules for interpreters to be especially interesting. The book inspired me to learn more and I googled terms and watched YouTube videos to better understand what the characters were doing and experiencing.
- The moments of beautiful innocence. There are quite a few heartbreaking scenes in the book, but there are also moments of great joy, wonder, and triumph. I cried during the cafeteria scene from the sheer happiness Arlo felt at experiencing that small slice of life and choice.
- The friendship between Martin, Big Head Lawrence, and Arlo. Yes, there was a lot of teen boy discussions/humor, but seeing Arlo so carefree and acting like a teen boy is what made it so wonderful.
- No one is perfect. Every character is facing their own crises and challenges and sometimes they stumble, lose their temper, or make poor choices. I may not have always agreed with the different decisions/actions, but they were certainly relatable.
- Snap. The goodest girl ever.
Things to note/consider:
- The Jehovah's Witness details were sometimes overwhelming and preachy, but I understand the role it played in contributing to Arlo's interactions and initial view of the world/society. I'm not familiar with the JW faith, so I'm unsure how accurately it was represented.
- The ending felt a bit rushed and the "plan" was pretty over the top and unbelievable. It was all a little too convenient, but I was rooting for Arlo and Cyril from the start, so it didn't bother me too much.
- I would have loved a little more exploration of Cyril's character. We got snippets here and there about his backstory, but it felt like just scratching the surface.
- The story is told in first person (Cyril) and second person (Arlo) point of view. This felt odd at first, but I got used to it very quickly.
I definitely recommend this heartwarming and ultimately uplifting novel and I look forward to reading more from Blair Fell in the future.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
CW: death of loved ones (past, cancer), grief, alcoholism, loneliness, bullying (past), homophobia, abuse, language deprivation, paralysis resulting from fall, discussion/allegations of rape, religious shame, ableism
The Sign for Home has consumed all my thoughts for the last few days. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next, but I also purposefully slowed down so that I could savor every word. This is such a unique and heartfelt coming of age novel. It is not a light romcom or really a romance. There is a second chance romance subplot, but the heart of the story is one of friendship, discovery, and independence.
Things I loved:
- The representation. Representation matters.
- I found the book to be very educational. I learned quite a bit about the DeafBlind community, accessibility, ASL syntax, Tactile ASL, Screen Braille Communicator (SBC), Protactile, and Haptics. I found the ethical conflicts and rules for interpreters to be especially interesting. The book inspired me to learn more and I googled terms and watched YouTube videos to better understand what the characters were doing and experiencing.
- The moments of beautiful innocence. There are quite a few heartbreaking scenes in the book, but there are also moments of great joy, wonder, and triumph. I cried during the cafeteria scene from the sheer happiness Arlo felt at experiencing that small slice of life and choice.
- The friendship between Martin, Big Head Lawrence, and Arlo. Yes, there was a lot of teen boy discussions/humor, but seeing Arlo so carefree and acting like a teen boy is what made it so wonderful.
- No one is perfect. Every character is facing their own crises and challenges and sometimes they stumble, lose their temper, or make poor choices. I may not have always agreed with the different decisions/actions, but they were certainly relatable.
- Snap. The goodest girl ever.
Things to note/consider:
- The Jehovah's Witness details were sometimes overwhelming and preachy, but I understand the role it played in contributing to Arlo's interactions and initial view of the world/society. I'm not familiar with the JW faith, so I'm unsure how accurately it was represented.
- The ending felt a bit rushed and the "plan" was pretty over the top and unbelievable. It was all a little too convenient, but I was rooting for Arlo and Cyril from the start, so it didn't bother me too much.
- I would have loved a little more exploration of Cyril's character. We got snippets here and there about his backstory, but it felt like just scratching the surface.
- The story is told in first person (Cyril) and second person (Arlo) point of view. This felt odd at first, but I got used to it very quickly.
I definitely recommend this heartwarming and ultimately uplifting novel and I look forward to reading more from Blair Fell in the future.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
February 13, 2024
I learned so much about the DeafBlind world from this engrossing novel.
Young Arlo Dilly's life was difficult enough: he was deaf and he could only see a pinhole's worth of the world around him, and even that would soon disappear. To add to his troubles, his legal guardian was a controlling Jehovah's Witness preacher and made access to the outside world almost impossible for Arlo.
Arlo is a treasure: he battles onward despite the physical, mental and religious limitations placed on him. The passages told in his own voice often had me laughing - he had such a sense of humour and a unique turn of phrase.
His ASL interpreter, Cyril, was an equally troubled person - but more in his mind and spirit. Both Arlo and Cyril must travel a difficult road so that they can each break free of the chains that hold each of them back from living a free and happier life.
The last third of the novel felt a bit rushed. At one point in the middle of the story, I started to suspect that Brother Birch was pocketing a large portion of Arlo's government disability cheque. I could be wrong here, but so much of the narrative harped on Arlo's woefully outdated communication devices and the fact that there were government programs that funded the purchase of an iPhone and transcribing devices for the DeafBlind.
At any rate, there was a dramatic twist in the last third of the novel that completely changed the direction, not to mention the setting, of this story. That almost fairy tale ending was a nice touch.
I highly recommend this novel: I learned so very much and was amazed by what Arlo could do - given the chance, despite all the odds and impediments that he had stacked against him. Arlo had no hearing, little or no sight, was taught to believe that just about everything he thought and did was a sin, and he was at the mercy of an uncle who restricted his life in every way imaginable. Arlo was a real trooper! I truly enjoyed this inspirational story.
I'm rating this one a 3.75 out of 5 points, rounded up to a 5 because there were times when I could not wait to dive back into this story.
Young Arlo Dilly's life was difficult enough: he was deaf and he could only see a pinhole's worth of the world around him, and even that would soon disappear. To add to his troubles, his legal guardian was a controlling Jehovah's Witness preacher and made access to the outside world almost impossible for Arlo.
Arlo is a treasure: he battles onward despite the physical, mental and religious limitations placed on him. The passages told in his own voice often had me laughing - he had such a sense of humour and a unique turn of phrase.
His ASL interpreter, Cyril, was an equally troubled person - but more in his mind and spirit. Both Arlo and Cyril must travel a difficult road so that they can each break free of the chains that hold each of them back from living a free and happier life.
The last third of the novel felt a bit rushed. At one point in the middle of the story, I started to suspect that Brother Birch was pocketing a large portion of Arlo's government disability cheque. I could be wrong here, but so much of the narrative harped on Arlo's woefully outdated communication devices and the fact that there were government programs that funded the purchase of an iPhone and transcribing devices for the DeafBlind.
At any rate, there was a dramatic twist in the last third of the novel that completely changed the direction, not to mention the setting, of this story. That almost fairy tale ending was a nice touch.
I highly recommend this novel: I learned so very much and was amazed by what Arlo could do - given the chance, despite all the odds and impediments that he had stacked against him. Arlo had no hearing, little or no sight, was taught to believe that just about everything he thought and did was a sin, and he was at the mercy of an uncle who restricted his life in every way imaginable. Arlo was a real trooper! I truly enjoyed this inspirational story.
I'm rating this one a 3.75 out of 5 points, rounded up to a 5 because there were times when I could not wait to dive back into this story.
April 19, 2022
The Sign For Home is a beautiful story, romance and education on the world of the DeafBlind. Arlo Dilly is a young man with the deck stacked against him. He's DeafBlind with very limited tunnel vision in one eye. He's also a Jehovah Witness under the guardianship of a overbearing uncle determined to control every aspect of his life. Arlo's future is bleak until a couple of things happen - Arlo hires a new male interpreter Cyril who brings along his hilarious Belgian boyfriend Hanne and he begins recalling some past memories of a lost love who Arlo thought was lost forever. Everything together spurs Arlo into beginning a journey of regaining control of his life. Arlo, along with Molly his long time interpreter, Cyril and Hanne, sets out on a quest for truth and freedom. If his lost love is alive, he will find her. And he will claim responsibility for his own life and future. No more sitting by and trusting what he's told.
The Sign For Home is one man's journey for the freedom he's been denied. Through laughter and tears, readers will travel with these wild characters as they slay the dragons and cast off the ties that bind them. Along the way, readers will receive an education on the trials and tribulations of living as a DeafBlind person as well as the pitfalls of living under the thumb of a person bound and determined to use Arlo as the voice of Jehovah's God. I greatly enjoyed Arlo's journey of discovery as well as the growing bond and friendship between his misfit crew. The story unfolds through dual points of view in alternating chapters. Fell does a expert job of weaving educational aspects of both living with deaf and blindness and life as a Jehovah Witness into the plot line which is driven by Arlo's desire to live his own life as normally as possible. The Sign For Home is an inspirational, heartfelt, love story that I will remember for some time. I highly recommend it to readers who are fans of contemporary fiction with a healthy side of love, laughter and tears.
Special thanks to Atria Books for an arc of this book.
Reviewed at Cross My Heart Reviews
The Sign For Home is one man's journey for the freedom he's been denied. Through laughter and tears, readers will travel with these wild characters as they slay the dragons and cast off the ties that bind them. Along the way, readers will receive an education on the trials and tribulations of living as a DeafBlind person as well as the pitfalls of living under the thumb of a person bound and determined to use Arlo as the voice of Jehovah's God. I greatly enjoyed Arlo's journey of discovery as well as the growing bond and friendship between his misfit crew. The story unfolds through dual points of view in alternating chapters. Fell does a expert job of weaving educational aspects of both living with deaf and blindness and life as a Jehovah Witness into the plot line which is driven by Arlo's desire to live his own life as normally as possible. The Sign For Home is an inspirational, heartfelt, love story that I will remember for some time. I highly recommend it to readers who are fans of contemporary fiction with a healthy side of love, laughter and tears.
Special thanks to Atria Books for an arc of this book.
Reviewed at Cross My Heart Reviews
January 6, 2022
This book is amazing.
A disabled coming-of-age story about breaking free of the confines of a suffocating religion and learning to stand up for yourself in an ableist world.
The story is told in dual POV with Arlo's perspective told in 2nd person and Cyril's perspective told in first person. I have never read a narrative told quite like this and while it took my brain a few chapters to really gt on board with this convention, the way these POVs were able to communicate nuance and establish intimacy were astounding.
Over the past year with #FreeBritney, conservatorships have been in the spotlight and this story tackles the inherent violent ableism of these relationships head-on.
The friendships and the relationships of care that develop between the characters as they learn to communicate are so profound, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to read a fiction book about a DeafBlind person that is a story of liberation and not tragedy.
This is such a stunning story and I believe everyone should read it.
[NB: This is not a romance! I tend to see the literary world as split into two: romance novels and non-romance novels and I think because of the cover, the publisher, the strict dual POV, and the reference to Arlo's great love, I just assumed that this was a romance. If you follow my reviews for romance recs, just know that while I 100% recommend this book, it is not a romance novel!]
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC.
CW: conservatorships, religious shame, discussions of rape, forced institutionalization, ableism
A disabled coming-of-age story about breaking free of the confines of a suffocating religion and learning to stand up for yourself in an ableist world.
The story is told in dual POV with Arlo's perspective told in 2nd person and Cyril's perspective told in first person. I have never read a narrative told quite like this and while it took my brain a few chapters to really gt on board with this convention, the way these POVs were able to communicate nuance and establish intimacy were astounding.
Over the past year with #FreeBritney, conservatorships have been in the spotlight and this story tackles the inherent violent ableism of these relationships head-on.
The friendships and the relationships of care that develop between the characters as they learn to communicate are so profound, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to read a fiction book about a DeafBlind person that is a story of liberation and not tragedy.
This is such a stunning story and I believe everyone should read it.
[NB: This is not a romance! I tend to see the literary world as split into two: romance novels and non-romance novels and I think because of the cover, the publisher, the strict dual POV, and the reference to Arlo's great love, I just assumed that this was a romance. If you follow my reviews for romance recs, just know that while I 100% recommend this book, it is not a romance novel!]
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC.
CW: conservatorships, religious shame, discussions of rape, forced institutionalization, ableism
March 9, 2022
This book is ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* messy *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Told through alternating viewpoints, "The Sign for Home" tells the story of DeafBlind 23 year old Arlo and his gay Community College ASL interpreter, Cyril. Arlo spent his youth in a residential home for the Deaf and through short snippets, the reader learns his time there was quite traumatic. He now lives with his devout, conservative Jehovah Witness uncle who severely restricts his access to the world. His friendship with Cyril opens up a whole new world of possibility, one that allows him to dream of independence and freedom.
There's a lot going on in this story (potential spoilers!): religious trauma, homophobia, ableism, assault, child abuse, infidelity. The author clearly brings a level of knowledge and expertise to Cyril's character, as an interpreter himself. Arlo's interpreted communication is written on page in ASL syntax, with ASL idioms. I learned so much about the DeafBlind community and felt that my eyes were opened to a world completely foreign to me. However, every character in this book is a hot mess. They make impulsive, silly choices and I found myself struggling to empathize when they faced the natural consequences of their decisions. Especially towards the end, the absurdity of the plot escalated so much I felt the entire tone of the book shifted towards near comedy. Was I entertained? Yes. Did I enjoy the diverse representation? Also yes. But ultimately, I think it could have been better plotted without the excessive backdrop of trauma and with a sharper storyline.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
Told through alternating viewpoints, "The Sign for Home" tells the story of DeafBlind 23 year old Arlo and his gay Community College ASL interpreter, Cyril. Arlo spent his youth in a residential home for the Deaf and through short snippets, the reader learns his time there was quite traumatic. He now lives with his devout, conservative Jehovah Witness uncle who severely restricts his access to the world. His friendship with Cyril opens up a whole new world of possibility, one that allows him to dream of independence and freedom.
There's a lot going on in this story (potential spoilers!): religious trauma, homophobia, ableism, assault, child abuse, infidelity. The author clearly brings a level of knowledge and expertise to Cyril's character, as an interpreter himself. Arlo's interpreted communication is written on page in ASL syntax, with ASL idioms. I learned so much about the DeafBlind community and felt that my eyes were opened to a world completely foreign to me. However, every character in this book is a hot mess. They make impulsive, silly choices and I found myself struggling to empathize when they faced the natural consequences of their decisions. Especially towards the end, the absurdity of the plot escalated so much I felt the entire tone of the book shifted towards near comedy. Was I entertained? Yes. Did I enjoy the diverse representation? Also yes. But ultimately, I think it could have been better plotted without the excessive backdrop of trauma and with a sharper storyline.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
April 8, 2022
Arlo Dilly is a deafblind Jehovah’s Witness who has gone through a lot but just wants to go to college and fall in love like anyone else. He has a chance to possibly meet his long lost old love with the help of his new friends.
This is tagged as romance and while romance is a big theme, I wouldn’t consider this a romance book. It’s more of a coming of age story about Arlo and also the friendship between him and his interpreter, Cyril (which is totally okay with me). The synopsis is also a little misleading because what it talks about doesn’t happen until over halfway into the book.
Going into this, I KNEW it would be way for too long and I was right about that. There’s really no reason for a contemporary coming of age novel to be so long. I kind of get why it was so long at the same time since we get Arlo’s sad backstory as well as the current timeline. I really appreciate what the author did nonetheless. It really explains the inequality the disabled goes through and that they can live normal lives too, if only the just have the right support.
Definitely a unique book, I’ve never read a book with a Deafblind character or Jehovah’s witness.
The ASL syntax was interesting and learning how communication works for deaf/deafblind people.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for this advanced copy of this book!
This is tagged as romance and while romance is a big theme, I wouldn’t consider this a romance book. It’s more of a coming of age story about Arlo and also the friendship between him and his interpreter, Cyril (which is totally okay with me). The synopsis is also a little misleading because what it talks about doesn’t happen until over halfway into the book.
Going into this, I KNEW it would be way for too long and I was right about that. There’s really no reason for a contemporary coming of age novel to be so long. I kind of get why it was so long at the same time since we get Arlo’s sad backstory as well as the current timeline. I really appreciate what the author did nonetheless. It really explains the inequality the disabled goes through and that they can live normal lives too, if only the just have the right support.
Definitely a unique book, I’ve never read a book with a Deafblind character or Jehovah’s witness.
The ASL syntax was interesting and learning how communication works for deaf/deafblind people.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for this advanced copy of this book!
January 24, 2022
You can read the blurb or check out more reviews on Goodreads, but I’m going to tell you how this book made me feel. Nervous with a heightened sense of curiosity. Introspective is another. I have never really spent time thinking just how much the deaf-blind community is reliant on others. Having to have complete faith in those around you, to be honest, open, professional as well as moral. There is so much happening and so much information given by the author, Blair Fell. You can tell Fell devoted time to be acute and shine a light on this portion of the population. I leave this read feeling inspired to learn more and to reevaluate how I would interact with a person within that community. Love has many forms and everyone is entitled to feel that love and be loved in return.
The Sign for Home has found a home within my heart. What a wonderful thing to happen. Especially from a debut author. Well done, Blair Fell!
~Tanja
*Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
The Sign for Home has found a home within my heart. What a wonderful thing to happen. Especially from a debut author. Well done, Blair Fell!
~Tanja
*Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
November 17, 2022
What if your hands were the main way someone thought of you? Not your face or your voice or the clothes you wear. Are your hands dry or soft? Is the skin starting to give a little? How tense are your hands? I started paying attention to my hands a lot as I cheered on Arlo Dilly's exploration of his slowly expanding world in The Sign for Home. Because for Arlo Dilly, hands are everything. They are the conduit between his brain and the world. He's DeafBlind.
He's also starting community college. A Jehovah's Witness. Has a sly sense of humor. And a broken heart.
This is a story about freedom of choice. It's about how people--telling themselves they are well-meaning--control Arlo's life to suit their own wishes, not his. It's about teenage boy hormones. It's about young love. It's about experiencing the meaning of "sublime."
But back to the hands. Blair Fell, the author, has been an ASL and Tactile ASL interpreter for the Deaf and DeafBlind for 25 years. He creates scenarios and interior monologues that open up the world of the DeafBlind and educates the reader without disrupting the story. Just as new information gives power to Arlo, the additional information enriches the story.
If you're someone who loves to read to experience other perspectives, read this.
If you're someone who loves it when the good guys win, read this.
Finally, kudos to Blair Fell for giving us a heartwarming and sometimes hilarious story, without falling into the trap of "disabled people are so heroic."
Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC.
He's also starting community college. A Jehovah's Witness. Has a sly sense of humor. And a broken heart.
This is a story about freedom of choice. It's about how people--telling themselves they are well-meaning--control Arlo's life to suit their own wishes, not his. It's about teenage boy hormones. It's about young love. It's about experiencing the meaning of "sublime."
But back to the hands. Blair Fell, the author, has been an ASL and Tactile ASL interpreter for the Deaf and DeafBlind for 25 years. He creates scenarios and interior monologues that open up the world of the DeafBlind and educates the reader without disrupting the story. Just as new information gives power to Arlo, the additional information enriches the story.
If you're someone who loves to read to experience other perspectives, read this.
If you're someone who loves it when the good guys win, read this.
Finally, kudos to Blair Fell for giving us a heartwarming and sometimes hilarious story, without falling into the trap of "disabled people are so heroic."
Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC.
December 12, 2021
When I entered the Goodreads giveaway all I knew about this was that it had a smiling golden retriever on its cover. I was sold right there. When I won I read part of the book's blurb and learned it’s about a young DeafBlind man who also happens to be a Jehovah’s Witness. At that point I stopped reading because some blurbs are full of spoilers and no one likes spoilers. So that's why I’m not going to risk spoiling one minute of this amazing coming-of-age story, other than to say it is one of the most original and moving novels I’ve read since, oh, forever. I loved each character and felt like I was there with them in every scene and in every conversation. I'm not at all surprised the author has 20+ years of experience as an ASL interpreter but I find it hard to believe this is a debut novel.
My thanks to GR Giveaways and to the publisher for an advance copy to review.
Read
June 18, 2023I'm going to be thinking about this book for a very long time - both the things that worked for me and the things that really, really didn't.
The Sign for Home makes a lot of bold narrative and stylistic choices, and is a completely engrossing read. It tells the story of Cyril, who is a certified interpreter, and Arlo, the young DeafBlind man for whom he works. Arlo has lived a life where the people around him - through varying degrees of ignorance, maliciousness, and selfishness - have deprived him of the linguistic and technological skills that would allow him to better navigate a hostile world. His encounter with Cyril, an interpreter who is well-versed in the ADA and the rights that Arlo deserves and to which he is legally entitled, provides Arlo with some of the tools he's been missing to advocate for himself. Along the way, we learn a lot about Arlo's past, including his traumatic early experiences being sent to a boarding school, a tragic love story with a mysterious fellow student, the finding and loss of important friendships, and various other events which lead to his current situation: a fully-capable adult forced to live under the legal guardianship of his uncle, an emotionally abusive Jehovah's Witness who is the main perpetrator of his loss of access to the world.
Starting with the positives of this book, I found it completely un-put-down-able. Fell commits to the distinctive voices and worldviews of each of his characters in a way that brings even the most mundane narrative events alive. Arlo narrates in second-person present ("you are sitting alone at your desk") which is definitely disorienting at first. But it does a good job of showing the reader Arlo's urgency to be understood - it's almost as if he's trying to forcibly create empathy by telling YOU what it's like to be him. The second person present also echoes the way he experiences a lot of the world, only being allowed to understand what happened to him as he's being told about it after the fact:
Watching Arlo take back the story of his "you" in the second person was deeply satisfying.
Cyril's narration takes place in a standard first-person present, which felt a bit more grounded and less-experimental, but refreshing in that contrast.
I also appreciated that the book made a clear effort to eschew a "savior" story in narrating the encounter between Cyril and Arlo. Yes, Cyril is the first person in Arlo's life to tell him about the ADA, to push back on the ways Arlo's uncle has deprived him of access and information. But the way the story is structured - especially the ending, though I had issues with it - clearly put Arlo in charge of how he wants to handle that information, placing Cyril in a supporting role and acknowledging to the reader why that's the only role he should take.
Because of these two very strong elements of the book - the narration and the insistence on Arlo's agency - I am... all the more baffled by a couple of choices that did not work for me at all (and, well, one that really upset me).
In terms of the narration (and skip this if you don't like pedantic language nerdery), I did not understand the choice to render the dialogue of all Deaf characters- and only Deaf characters - in English glosses of ASL. English glosses are an incomplete and imperfect way to force ASL into the parameters of written language, and by nature, they lose so much grammatical complexity - time markers, expressiveness, movement through space. Using English glosses isn't a problem in itself, I don't think: in some ways it renders the grammatical uniqueness of ASL, like its topic/comment structure ("Cyril interpret... can?") more visible to the reader, and the fact that it appears grammatically different from English is a fair representation of the difference between two languages.
BUT, but... if the goal is to make ASL "feel" different from English, WHY is the ASL of hearing characters rendered in fully-grammatical English, and the ASL of Deaf characters rendered in its non-native English approximation, one that is by nature going to sound "incomplete" to hearing readers??? We're supposed to understand Cyril as a fluent signer. Why does he sign in fluent ENGLISH, while Arlo signs in English gloss? It felt immensely othering, to me, of the Deaf characters. It made Deaf native language production in ASL sound incomplete, and less-erudite to those who don't know the full complexity of what it half-represents. I cannot get my head around why the author would make this choice.
I also just could not get past the number of ways Cyril abused his position as an interpreter to violate Arlo's privacy and autonomy, even while clearly trying to achieve the opposite effect overall. I've thought long and hard about how to include this in my review- while this isn't the space for it, I do have a lot of complicated feelings around... character morality as a yardstick for the evaluation of art? And how that gets wielded and where it gets applied.
But suffice it to say, whatever lines I have (even if I don't always understand them), this book crossed them. I felt borderline gaslit by the book's conclusion. Over the course of the narrative, Cyril commits dozens of ethical violations as an interpreter. Some of these are things Arlo asks him to do to help him take back agency over his life within an unjust system. Which is at least an interesting question - the book clearly wants us to ask ourselves, when do ethical codes cease to be morally good within the context of overarching injustice? But some of Cyril's actions are horrific violations of Arlo's privacy that Arlo never learns about, and which allow Cyril to fetishize and obsess over his client's life details. And so, at the end of the book, when we are clearly asked to join Cyril in indignation over being accused of possibly the one ethical violation he didn't commit... I couldn't quite buy into it. The way Cyril and his friend Hanne (with whom he unethically shared personal details learned in the course of working as Arlo's interpreter) become obsessed with Arlo was deeply creepy, not at all ok, and never really addressed by the book because everything came out "ok" in the end. Which honestly soured the entire "happy ending" for me. I dunno. Maybe I'm a killjoy? But at the very least, if massive unquestioned violations of a character's autonomy and privacy are not your jam - especially in a book that's trying to make an overarching point about the opposite of these things - maybe skip this one? As is probably obvious from this long and semi-incoherent review, I'm still processing how to feel about it.
The Sign for Home makes a lot of bold narrative and stylistic choices, and is a completely engrossing read. It tells the story of Cyril, who is a certified interpreter, and Arlo, the young DeafBlind man for whom he works. Arlo has lived a life where the people around him - through varying degrees of ignorance, maliciousness, and selfishness - have deprived him of the linguistic and technological skills that would allow him to better navigate a hostile world. His encounter with Cyril, an interpreter who is well-versed in the ADA and the rights that Arlo deserves and to which he is legally entitled, provides Arlo with some of the tools he's been missing to advocate for himself. Along the way, we learn a lot about Arlo's past, including his traumatic early experiences being sent to a boarding school, a tragic love story with a mysterious fellow student, the finding and loss of important friendships, and various other events which lead to his current situation: a fully-capable adult forced to live under the legal guardianship of his uncle, an emotionally abusive Jehovah's Witness who is the main perpetrator of his loss of access to the world.
Starting with the positives of this book, I found it completely un-put-down-able. Fell commits to the distinctive voices and worldviews of each of his characters in a way that brings even the most mundane narrative events alive. Arlo narrates in second-person present ("you are sitting alone at your desk") which is definitely disorienting at first. But it does a good job of showing the reader Arlo's urgency to be understood - it's almost as if he's trying to forcibly create empathy by telling YOU what it's like to be him. The second person present also echoes the way he experiences a lot of the world, only being allowed to understand what happened to him as he's being told about it after the fact:
She proceeded to tell you a story you'd never heard before. A story about you. She said things like "You did this... Then you did that..." And the whole time the word you didn't make sense because the story about "you" matched nothing in your memory.
Watching Arlo take back the story of his "you" in the second person was deeply satisfying.
Cyril's narration takes place in a standard first-person present, which felt a bit more grounded and less-experimental, but refreshing in that contrast.
I also appreciated that the book made a clear effort to eschew a "savior" story in narrating the encounter between Cyril and Arlo. Yes, Cyril is the first person in Arlo's life to tell him about the ADA, to push back on the ways Arlo's uncle has deprived him of access and information. But the way the story is structured - especially the ending, though I had issues with it - clearly put Arlo in charge of how he wants to handle that information, placing Cyril in a supporting role and acknowledging to the reader why that's the only role he should take.
Because of these two very strong elements of the book - the narration and the insistence on Arlo's agency - I am... all the more baffled by a couple of choices that did not work for me at all (and, well, one that really upset me).
In terms of the narration (and skip this if you don't like pedantic language nerdery), I did not understand the choice to render the dialogue of all Deaf characters- and only Deaf characters - in English glosses of ASL. English glosses are an incomplete and imperfect way to force ASL into the parameters of written language, and by nature, they lose so much grammatical complexity - time markers, expressiveness, movement through space. Using English glosses isn't a problem in itself, I don't think: in some ways it renders the grammatical uniqueness of ASL, like its topic/comment structure ("Cyril interpret... can?") more visible to the reader, and the fact that it appears grammatically different from English is a fair representation of the difference between two languages.
BUT, but... if the goal is to make ASL "feel" different from English, WHY is the ASL of hearing characters rendered in fully-grammatical English, and the ASL of Deaf characters rendered in its non-native English approximation, one that is by nature going to sound "incomplete" to hearing readers??? We're supposed to understand Cyril as a fluent signer. Why does he sign in fluent ENGLISH, while Arlo signs in English gloss? It felt immensely othering, to me, of the Deaf characters. It made Deaf native language production in ASL sound incomplete, and less-erudite to those who don't know the full complexity of what it half-represents. I cannot get my head around why the author would make this choice.
I also just could not get past the number of ways Cyril abused his position as an interpreter to violate Arlo's privacy and autonomy, even while clearly trying to achieve the opposite effect overall. I've thought long and hard about how to include this in my review- while this isn't the space for it, I do have a lot of complicated feelings around... character morality as a yardstick for the evaluation of art? And how that gets wielded and where it gets applied.
But suffice it to say, whatever lines I have (even if I don't always understand them), this book crossed them. I felt borderline gaslit by the book's conclusion. Over the course of the narrative, Cyril commits dozens of ethical violations as an interpreter. Some of these are things Arlo asks him to do to help him take back agency over his life within an unjust system. Which is at least an interesting question - the book clearly wants us to ask ourselves, when do ethical codes cease to be morally good within the context of overarching injustice? But some of Cyril's actions are horrific violations of Arlo's privacy that Arlo never learns about, and which allow Cyril to fetishize and obsess over his client's life details. And so, at the end of the book, when we are clearly asked to join Cyril in indignation over being accused of possibly the one ethical violation he didn't commit... I couldn't quite buy into it. The way Cyril and his friend Hanne (with whom he unethically shared personal details learned in the course of working as Arlo's interpreter) become obsessed with Arlo was deeply creepy, not at all ok, and never really addressed by the book because everything came out "ok" in the end. Which honestly soured the entire "happy ending" for me. I dunno. Maybe I'm a killjoy? But at the very least, if massive unquestioned violations of a character's autonomy and privacy are not your jam - especially in a book that's trying to make an overarching point about the opposite of these things - maybe skip this one? As is probably obvious from this long and semi-incoherent review, I'm still processing how to feel about it.
February 15, 2024
as a sighted-hearing person, ive always been intrigued by the sign language blind/deaf/deaf-blind people use to represent themselves. alas, that it why i read this book!!
when you open the crisp pages of the book, you are introduced to the chapter “sniff”. it gives you an insight on arlo’s surroundings in first person perspective. all of his chapters in the book made me feel connected and involved in some way of his reality.
throughout this story, arlo teams up with his interpreter, cyril. you can tell, with time, that cyril really cares for his wellbeing that is being disregarded by his guardians.
every time it was cyril’s chapter, i longed for more interactions with him and arlo.
i learned SO much information from this book. so valuable to anyone who reads this book. it takes you on a wave of emotions: sadness, happiness, and downright depressed.
there was a lot of religious circumstances towards JW, which was implemented to give the purpose for alro’s guardians and their beliefs. i did not expect this and the graphic descriptions in the novel, but, nevertheless, i throughly enjoyed it.
everyone should be brought into arlo’s world, and understand how intricate it could be to feel like you belong, and finding people that truly know that 🥹
when you open the crisp pages of the book, you are introduced to the chapter “sniff”. it gives you an insight on arlo’s surroundings in first person perspective. all of his chapters in the book made me feel connected and involved in some way of his reality.
throughout this story, arlo teams up with his interpreter, cyril. you can tell, with time, that cyril really cares for his wellbeing that is being disregarded by his guardians.
every time it was cyril’s chapter, i longed for more interactions with him and arlo.
i learned SO much information from this book. so valuable to anyone who reads this book. it takes you on a wave of emotions: sadness, happiness, and downright depressed.
there was a lot of religious circumstances towards JW, which was implemented to give the purpose for alro’s guardians and their beliefs. i did not expect this and the graphic descriptions in the novel, but, nevertheless, i throughly enjoyed it.
everyone should be brought into arlo’s world, and understand how intricate it could be to feel like you belong, and finding people that truly know that 🥹
January 18, 2022
This is a phenomenal debut and a real page-turner! At the beginning of Sign for Home, Arlo's world is teeny-tiny: he's a DeafBlind young man in a Jehovah's Witness family, so what he has learned about the world is minimal. He's smart, witty, curious, and he pines over a long, lost love from high school. Just when he thinks he is doomed to be a lonely soul, in waltzes a new translator: a gay man who, through empathetic translating, helps Arlo's world open up in humongous ways. I was really struck by the authenticity and the evolution of the characters; even the minor characters all transform in some way. I loved learning about tactile signing and issues of access. Arlo's world as a DeafBlind is not one I've inhabited before, so reading this book provided refreshing and new insight into that world. I laughed, I cried, I hung on to the edge of my seat as Arlo embarked on some wild adventures to reclaim his love and find his voice. A beautiful story, well-told.
September 24, 2022
Oh my, I devoured this book like candy! It is seriously so unbelievably good as it speaks to so many relevant themes! Cyril is a gay interpreter for the DeafBlind community and is working with Arlo, a sweet and genuine young man who lives with his "uncle" Birch, a devout Jehovah's witness advocate. But things spiral out of control when Arlo comes to find out some things in his past are not as true as he'd thought, and Cyril is determined to help him. That's all you need for plot; Fell examines sexuality, underrepresentation, stereotypes, heartbreak, familial love, and oh so many more! Know. that this book will change how you perceive the world and especially now, when the world is on the brink of so many tragedies, this is a shining star in an otherwise-often bleak sky! This novel broke me and then put me back together again with a renewed sense of self and discovery...not to be missed!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
January 15, 2023
This book took me a while to get into, but when I did I could not put it down. Cyril is an interpreter who is selected to work with Arlo, a DeafBlind college student. Despite his best effort, Cyril finds it hard to just do his job and not become invested in Arlo's well being and to help him. While the obstacles seem many for Arlo to be able to see his long lost sweetheart again, this book will not disappoint.
January 27, 2022
The Sign for Home by Blair Fell is an excellent fictional coming of age story that is fresh, unique, and endearing. I really liked it.
I just loved this book! Arlo Dilly is a character one cannot just help but love. My heart went out to him so many times…but don’t let his modifications fool you, he is smart, inquisitive, and yearns to find more out of life and love.
I loved the inclusion of a character that is blind/deaf. Definitely a huge void in regards to books including those challenges. It was refreshing and fascinating to see the world through his mind. His explorations, his growth, his stumbles along the way, all made him more lovable than the page before. In fact, the full cast of characters were unique, broad-based, and enjoyable. I always love my characters to be fallible yet possess a good heart. I also enjoyed the threads of obstacles and mystery interwoven as well.
A great book that I highly recommend and will remember for quite a while.
5/5 stars
Thank you Emily Bestler/Atria Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/5/22.
I just loved this book! Arlo Dilly is a character one cannot just help but love. My heart went out to him so many times…but don’t let his modifications fool you, he is smart, inquisitive, and yearns to find more out of life and love.
I loved the inclusion of a character that is blind/deaf. Definitely a huge void in regards to books including those challenges. It was refreshing and fascinating to see the world through his mind. His explorations, his growth, his stumbles along the way, all made him more lovable than the page before. In fact, the full cast of characters were unique, broad-based, and enjoyable. I always love my characters to be fallible yet possess a good heart. I also enjoyed the threads of obstacles and mystery interwoven as well.
A great book that I highly recommend and will remember for quite a while.
5/5 stars
Thank you Emily Bestler/Atria Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/5/22.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,434 reviews