And a second post from Connie in Outreach Services.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this little gem of a memoir. It reminded me of Rick Bragg’s or James Mc Bride’s beautiful tribute (or what I like to think of as a love letter) to their parent. In this case, Myron Uhlberg describes the unique position of growing up as the eldest hearing son of two deaf parents. He recalls most vividly, his father’s hands…”He spoke and the language I heard was the language of his touch.” At a time when fathers were not openly demonstrative with their children, Mr. Uhlberg’s father held him often. The author also describes how people who were deaf were raised and treated by society in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Mr. Uhlberg had a loving and close relationship with his family, but also relates the difficulty of being a child that was thrust into the adult world as his parent’s translator and bridge to the hearing world. To further complicate matters, the author helped care for his younger brother who suffered with epileptic seizures, and had to provide translation during numerous medical emergencies and appointments. It’s hard to imagine today, a young child being asked to do so much for his family. This is a wonderful memoir that offers a glimpse of what life was like for a special family as well as a look at the difficulties faced by people who are deaf.
Check the WRL catalog for Hands of My Father
Blogging for a Good Book 
I remember the first time I realized that deaf parents can have children who are not deaf and I’ve always wondered how those kids feel since they are on the outside. Sounds like Uglberg does a terrific job of giving reader’s a glimpse into that world.