Indies Introduce

Fiction

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  The Sign for Home, Blair Fell
  Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 9781982175955, April 5, 2022 (Fiction)
  

  “Fresh, funny, and big-hearted, The Sign for Home is a sparkling debut guaranteed to keep you turning pages as you follow Arlo Dilly (a DeafBlind Jehovah’s Witness) and his ragtag band of misfit friends on their quest to find the love of Arlo’s life. It is a coming-of-age story like no other, full of humor, drama, and all of the highs and lows of a young man whose world is just beginning to expand.”

  —Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books, Arlington, VA
  
  

  “The Sign for Home does exactly what books and stories are supposed to do: offers a new perspective and gives insight into another’s life that you aren't familiar with. I learned so much about ASL, tactile ASL, and the life of someone who cannot fully rely on all of their senses. I absolutely loved the characters. They are all so genuine and full of humanity, heart, and soul. They jump right off the page and into your heart. I highly recommend this novel — it's a much needed, refreshing read!”

  —Katrina Bright-Yerges, Books & Greetings, Ocomonowoc, WI
  

   

  “This is a phenomenal debut and a real page-turner! At the beginning of The Sign for Home, Arlo’s world is teen-tiny: he’s a DeafBlind young man in a Jehovah’s Witness family, and what he has learned about the world is limited. 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 person 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.”

  —Samantha Kolber, Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, VT