- LGBT Bookworms of Philly/SuburbsJoan's Elkins Park Home, Elkins Park, PA
We'll shimmy into June to avoid the Memorial Day Holiday weekend with a discussion of the annual One Book One Philadelphia selection: True Biz. This revelatory novel by Sara Nović plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the hearing headmistress, a CODA (child of deaf adults) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection. Although the book features teenagers, this is not considered a YA title. Nović is a deaf rights activist and has written about Deaf culture for the New York Times, Slate, CNN, and the Washington Post. She lives in Philadelphia. A variety of events connected to True Biz will take place in area libraries around Philadelphia. Take a look at what's available:
One Book One Philadelphia -- Free Library True Biz Events