Mother Tongue by Sara Novic

Sara Novic’s Mother Tongue is a collection of essays structured as a memoir, exploring Deaf identity and the significance of language through her own experiences. In the memoir, Novic reflects on her childhood memory: growing up deaf in a hearing world, she had to hide her hearing loss for years before eventually finding belonging and identity within the Deaf community through American Sign Language.

As a mother raising both a biological hearing son and a deaf adopted son, she also explores themes of family, identity, and disability. Moreover, not just drawing from her own personal experience, but Novic also includes the broader stories of the whole Deaf community. 

Furthermore, it is notable that Novic treats ASL and Deaf identity not merely as subjects but as essential elements that shape thought, perception, and interpersonal relationships.

Ultimately, Novic, through her memoir, illustrates how language—including ASL—can become the very foundation of one’s identity and perception of the world.