The Sign for Home by Blair Fell

I loved this book. The Sign for Home follows Arlo Dilly, a 23 year old DeafBlind Jehovah’s Witness living under the strict control of his uncle. After discovering his long lost love may not be so out of reach, Arlo sets off with the help of his friends to discover the truth of his past and find happiness.

It was eye-opening seeing the world from Arlo’s point of view. The first chapter is called “Sniff” and we’re immediately drawn into Arlo’s experience of the world around him. At the start of the story, Arlo lives a very limited, isolating existence. I was surprised to discover how many choices, both large and small, are taken away from Arlo just because those around him believe they know best. While they may act with the best intentions, the result is a loss of independence and it isn’t until Arlo meets Cyril, a new interpreter, that his world starts to expand beyond the confines of his home and school.

I hope more people pick this book up. I learned so much about the DeafBlind community and it was a heartwarming, educational read. I listened to this book during my commute a few weeks ago and I highly recommend giving the audiobook a try. The audiobook is narrated by the author and he did such a great job really bringing the characters and story to life.