DEER RUN HOME

Sarah Tubert narrates this short novel in verse, reflecting the rhythms of 12-year-old Effie, who is deaf and has her own unique gift for language. Tubert stresses the emotions of the story, including Effie's alienation at home and comfort with her American Sign Language interpreter, Miss Kathy, who sees much more about Effie than her struggles with school. Tubert's portrayal of Miss Kathy captures the compassion of the teacher who eventually becomes Effie's guardian. It turns out that Effie also has issues (sexual abuse) that don't surface until close to the audiobook's end, and Tubert handles that part of the story with sensitivity. The story escapes didacticism with its authentic characters. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]