TRUE BIZ

This audiobook, primarily performed by Lisa Flanagan, follows Charlie, the Deaf teenage daughter of hearing parents who has transferred to her first school for the Deaf, and February, the school's hearing headmistress who is caring for her Deaf elderly mother. The story incorporates several of Charlie's school assignments, such as the history of student protests at Gallaudet University, which narrator Kaleo Griffith delivers in a straightforward style. Flanagan clearly distinguishes each character's gender and age, believably rendering their range of feelings, such as Charlie's frustrations communicating with her doctors and a student's reaction after learning his newborn sister can hear. A subtle sound effect successfully distinguishes ASL from English, though a PDF of the book's drawings of sign language would have added to the listening experience. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]