Part coming of age, part call to action, this fast-paced #ownvoices
novel about a Deaf teenager is a unique and inspiring exploration of
what it means to belong.
Set in an ominously prescient near future, The Words in My Hands is
the story of Piper: sixteen, smart, artistic, and rebellious, she's
struggling to conform to what her mom wants--for her to be 'normal, ' to
pass as hearing, and get a good job. But in a time of food scarcity,
environmental collapse, and political corruption, Piper has other things
on her mind--like survival.
Deaf since the age of three, Piper has always been told that she needs
to compensate in a world that puts those who can hear above everyone
else. But when she meets Marley, a whole new world opens up--one where
Deafness is something to celebrate rather than hide, and where
resilience and hope are created by taking action, building a community,
and believing in something better.
Published to rave reviews as Future Girl in Australia (Allen & Unwin,
Sept. 2020), this unforgettable story is told through a visual
extravaganza of text, paint, collage, and drawings that bring Piper's
journey vividly to life. Insightful, hopeful, and empowering, The Words
in My Hands is very much a novel for our turbulent times.