Deaf Author Ann Clare LeZotte Shows Kids a Sign

Ann LeZotte is the author of the book “Show Me a Sign,” a novel about a deaf girl growing up in the Martha’s Vineyard settlement in the 1800s. The novel was originally released on March 3, 2020, just before the pandemic hit the United States.

LeZotte talks about the struggle to translate ASL into written English, but she says that once everything started to flow together, “it’s nearly miraculous!” She also mentions the importance of including the multicultural community of a Wampanoag island called Noepe and the research she did to find first-hand sources to make the book more real.

“Show Me a Sign” was written to help other deaf children see someone like them. LeZotte also wants other readers to think about the larger problems, like how the world treats Mary and other deaf children. She also wants people to understand that “disabilities are not deficiencies.”

You can read more about the author and her story here.