Of Sound Mind
Author(s): Jean Ferris
A poignant novel partially set in a world of silence
High school senior Theo is fluent in two languages: spoken English and sign. His parents and brother, Jeremy, are deaf, but Theo can hear, which has over the years cast him in the role of interpreter for his family. Unfortunately, it's not a welcome duty, especially in the case of his mother, Palma. She is a successful sculptor who, being deeply suspicious of "hearies," expects Theo to act as her business manager. And Jeremy relies on Theo for company and homework help. It's become especially frustrating lately because Theo has met a fascinating new girl at school, Ivy, with whom he wants to spend as much time as possible. Theo's father, Thomas, is the only one who has never burdened him, but that changes when Thomas has a stroke. Palma, frightened and self-absorbed, cannot bring herself to nurse her husband, leaving Theo with the full burden to bear. But with the help of Ivy and some of her friends, Theo is finally able to change his family's dynamics and find time to plan his future.
Review(s):
“Both a thought-provoking study of just when being deaf matters and when it does not, and an unusually rich coming-of-age story that explores universal issues of family responsibility, emotional maturation, love, and loss.” —Starred, Booklist
“A moving exploration of the extraordinary demands a disability places on a family as well as the effects of an exceptionally strong personality on a household.” —The Horn Book
“Ferris has written an absorbing novel with a strong, endearing protagonist . . . This fine novel explores a world about which most people know little.” —VOYA
Long-listed ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults, American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults (2002), Long-listed ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2008), American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, Winner NYPL Books for the Teen Age, Commended IBBY Honor Books, American Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Readers (2008), Winner NCSS-CBC NotableTrade-Soc.Stdy, Long-listed ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2002), Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, American Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Readers, American Library Association Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults, NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Adults, Long-listed Booklist Editors' Choice
ISBN: 9780374455842