I first learned about Silent Observer through an article in a Gallaudet University newsletter. The story was fascinating: A deaf graphic artist, Christy MacKinnon had grown up in a bygone era. As an adult, she had secretly written and drawn pictures about her childhood. When she passed away, a treasure trove of her drawings and writings were discovered. The bundle was submitted to Gallaudet University Press to be published as a book.
Beautiful Book
And what a book it is. Crisp writing, beautiful watercolor drawings. Both the author and her sister lost their hearing to illness as young children. The scene in which her mother realizes that her daughter is deaf is simple, and extremely moving, because MacKinnon does not hear a horse jumping over her head. (The horse could have hurt or killed her). Growing up on a farm without access to official sign language, the author and her family invented a form of signing all their own.
More Than Just a Deaf Childhood
Silent Observer is more than a book about a deaf childhood. MacKinnon experienced the loss of her mother at a young age, attended a rural school with hearing children, and had mischievous escapades just like any other child.
Simple Yet Poignant
I have re-read Silent Observer so many times that I have lost count. I will never tire of re-reading this beautiful book. Although this is a "children's book," adults will love it for its simplicity and its poignant portrayal of a deaf childhood.
