Hands of My Father : A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love

## Amazon.com Review : With touching simplicity, author Myron Uhlberg recounts his complex childhood spent bridging the gap between sign language and the spoken word. As the hearing son of deaf parents, young Myron served as their emissary to the audible world while enduring the painful ignorance of a society that dismissed the hearing-impaired as "dummies." Yet eliciting pity is not the aim of this memoir. __Hands of My Father__ is less about the challenges Uhlberg faced, and more about the love that bound his family together. Amid each tale of hardship, he describes moments so profoundly tender that you are immediately excused for the lump forming in the back of your throat. "All that I needed, in order to understand how much my father loved me," he explains, "was the feel of his arms around me." Though there may have been much to struggle against, Uhlberg's stories reveal that he had even more to be thankful for. - __Dave Callanan__ ## From Publishers Weekly In this memoir about growing up the son of deaf parents in 1940s Brooklyn, Uhlberg recalls the time his uncle told him he saw his nephew as cleaved into two parts, half hearing, half deaf, forever joined together. These worlds come together in this work, his first for adults, as Uhlberg, who has written several children's books (including __Dad, Jackie, and Me__, which won a 2006 Patterson Prize) effortlessly weaves his way through a childhood of trying to interpret the speaking world for his parents while trying to learn the lessons of life from the richly executed Technicolor language of his father's hands. With the interconnection of two different worlds, there is bound to be humor, and Uhlberg is able to laugh at himself and his family's situation. He recounts unsuccessfully trying to reinterpret his teacher's constructive criticism for his parents and finding himself pressed into duty interpreting the Joe Louis prize fights for his dad. There are, of course, more poignant moments, as Uhlberg tries to explain the sound of waves for his curious father or when he finds himself in charge of caring for his epileptic baby brother because his parents can't hear the seizures. As Uhlberg grows up through the polio epidemic, WWII and Jackie Robinson's arrival in Brooklyn, he also grows out of his insecurities about his family and the way they are viewed as outsiders. Instead, looking back, he gives readers a well-crafted, heartwarming tale of family love and understanding. __(Apr.)__ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

by Turns Heart-tugging And Hilarious, Myron Uhlberg’s Memoir Tells The Story Of Growing Up As The Hearing Son Of Deaf Parents—and His Life In A World That He Found Unaccountably Beautiful, Even As He Longed To Escape It.

“does Sound Have Rhythm?” My Father Asked. “does It Rise And Fall Like The Ocean? Does It Come And Go Like The Wind?”

such Were The Kinds Of Questions That Myron Uhlberg’s Deaf Father Asked Him From Earliest Childhood, In His Eternal Quest To Decipher, And To Understand, The Elusive Nature Of Sound. Quite A Challenge For A Young Boy, And One Of Many He Would Face.

uhlberg’s First Language Was American Sign Language, The First Sign He Learned: “i Love You.” But His Second Language Was Spoken English—and No Sooner Did He Learn It Than He Was Called Upon To Act As His Father’s Ears And Mouth In The Stores And Streets Of The Neighborhood Beyond Their Silent Apartment In Brooklyn.

resentful As He Sometimes Was Of The Heavy Burdens Heaped On His Small Shoulders, He Nonetheless Adored His Parents, Who Passed On To Him Their Own Passionate Engagement With Life. These Two Remarkable People Married And Had Children At The Absolute Bottom Of The Great Depression—an Expression Of Extraordinary Optimism, And Typical Of The Joy And Resilience They Were Able To Summon At Even The Darkest Of Times.

from The Beaches Of Coney Island To Ebbets Field, Where He Watches His Father’s Hero Jackie Robinson Play Ball, From The Branch Library Above The Local Chinese Restaurant Where The Odor Of Chow Mein Rose From The Pages Of The Books He Devoured To The Hospital Ward Where He Visits His Polio-afflicted Friend, This Is A Memoir Filled With Stories About Growing Up Not Just As The Child Of Two Deaf People But As A Book-loving, Mischief-making, Tree-climbing Kid During The Remarkably Eventful Period That Spanned The Depression, The War, And The Early Fifties.

publishers Weekly

in This Memoir About Growing Up The Son Of Deaf Parents In 1940s Brooklyn, Uhlberg Recalls The Time His Uncle Told Him He Saw His Nephew As Cleaved Into Two Parts, Half Hearing, Half Deaf, Forever Joined Together. These Worlds Come Together In This Work, His First For Adults, As Uhlberg, Who Has Written Several Children's Books (including dad, Jackie, And Me, Which Won A 2006 Patterson Prize) Effortlessly Weaves His Way Through A Childhood Of Trying To Interpret The Speaking World For His Parents While Trying To Learn The Lessons Of Life From The Richly Executed Technicolor Language Of His Father's Hands. With The Interconnection Of Two Different Worlds, There Is Bound To Be Humor, And Uhlberg Is Able To Laugh At Himself And His Family's Situation. He Recounts Unsuccessfully Trying To Reinterpret His Teacher's Constructive Criticism For His Parents And Finding Himself Pressed Into Duty Interpreting The Joe Louis Prize Fights For His Dad. There Are, Of Course, More Poignant Moments, As Uhlberg Tries To Explain The Sound Of Waves For His Curious Father Or When He Finds Himself In Charge Of Caring For His Epileptic Baby Brother Because His Parents Can't Hear The Seizures. As Uhlberg Grows Up Through The Polio Epidemic, Wwii And Jackie Robinson's Arrival In Brooklyn, He Also Grows Out Of His Insecurities About His Family And The Way They Are Viewed As Outsiders. Instead, Looking Back, He Gives Readers A Well-crafted, Heartwarming Tale Of Family Love And Understanding. (apr.)

copyright © Reed Business Information, A Division Of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Amazon.com Review : With touching simplicity, author Myron Uhlberg recounts his complex childhood spent bridging the gap between sign language and the spoken word. As the hearing son of deaf parents, young Myron served as their emissary to the audible world while enduring the painful ignorance of a society that dismissed the hearing-impaired as "dummies." Yet eliciting pity is not the aim of this memoir. Hands of My Father is less about the challenges Uhlberg faced, and more about the love that bound his family together. Amid each tale of hardship, he describes moments so profoundly tender that you are immediately excused for the lump forming in the back of your throat. "All that I needed, in order to understand how much my father loved me," he explains, "was the feel of his arms around me." Though there may have been much to struggle against, Uhlberg's stories reveal that he had even more to be thankful for. - Dave Callanan From Publishers Weekly In this memoir about growing up the son of deaf parents in 1940s Brooklyn, Uhlberg recalls the time his uncle told him he saw his nephew as cleaved into two parts, half hearing, half deaf, forever joined together. These worlds come together in this work, his first for adults, as Uhlberg, who has written several children's books (including Dad, Jackie, and Me , which won a 2006 Patterson Prize) effortlessly weaves his way through a childhood of trying to interpret the speaking world for his parents while trying to learn the lessons of life from the richly executed Technicolor language of his father's hands. With the interconnection of two different worlds, there is bound to be humor, and Uhlberg is able to laugh at himself and his family's situation. He recounts unsuccessfully trying to reinterpret his teacher's constructive criticism for his parents and finding himself pressed into duty interpreting the Joe Louis prize fights for his dad. There are, of course, more poignant moments, as Uhlberg tries to explain the sound of waves for his curious father or when he finds himself in charge of caring for his epileptic baby brother because his parents can't hear the seizures. As Uhlberg grows up through the polio epidemic, WWII and Jackie Robinson's arrival in Brooklyn, he also grows out of his insecurities about his family and the way they are viewed as outsiders. Instead, looking back, he gives readers a well-crafted, heartwarming tale of family love and understanding. (Apr.) Copyright 漏 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. General,United States,Biography & Autobiography,Social Science,Personal Memoirs,Biography,Deaf - Family relationships - United States,Uhlberg; Myron,Health & Fitness,Deaf parents,Children's Studies,Deaf,Children of deaf parents,Children of deaf parents - United States,Family relationships,Hearing & Speech,Deaf parents - United States,Case studies By turns heart-tugging and hilarious, Myron Uhlberg's memoir tells the story of growing up as the hearing son of deaf parents--and his life in a world that he found unaccountably beautiful, even as he longed to escape it. "Does sound have rhythm?" my father asked. "Does it rise and fall like the ocean? Does it come and go like the wind?" Such were the kinds of questions that Myron Uhlberg's deaf father asked him from earliest childhood, in his eternal quest to decipher, and to understand, the elusive nature of sound. Quite a challenge for a young boy, and one of many he would face. Uhlberg's first language was American Sign Language, the first sign he learned: "I love you." But his second language was spoken English--and no sooner did he learn it than he was called upon to act as his father's ears and mouth in the stores and streets of the neighborhood beyond their silent apartment in Brooklyn. Resentful as he sometimes was of the heavy burdens heaped on his small shoulders, he nonetheless adored his parents, who passed on to him their own passionate engagement with life. These two remarkable people married and had children at the absolute bottom of the Great Depression--an expression of extraordinary optimism, and typical of the joy and resilience they were able to summon at even the darkest of times. From the beaches of Coney Island to Ebbets Field, where he watches his father's hero Jackie Robinson play ball, from the branch library above the local Chinese restaurant where the odor of chow mein rose from the pages of the books he devoured to the hospital ward where he visits his polio-afflicted friend, this is a memoir filled with stories about growing up not just as the child of two deaf people but as a book-loving, mischief-making, tree-climbing kid during the remarkably eventful period that spanned the Depression, the War, and the early fifties. From the Hardcover edition With candor and humor, Uhlberg recounts a childhood spent largely as a bridge between his parents and the hearing world. Translating from sign language to spoken language and back again, he enables his father to communicate with local shopkeepers, awakens his parents when his baby brother cries, and even interprets at a less-than-glowing parent-teacher conference. At times, he's embarrassed by his parents, and hurt that his father is called "dummy." But in the end, his overwhelming love and compassion leaves a lasting effect. The author describes growing up as the hearing son of two deaf parents during the Depression, the challenges of straddling the world of the deaf and the hearing world beyond the family's apartment, and his occasional resentment of the burdens of his roleas an interpreter