Mother Tongue: A Memoir

In this moving and powerful memoir, novelist Nović (True Biz) shares her journey of gradual hearing loss in childhood and her entry into the deaf community as an adult. As a deaf-rights activist, she challenges narratives that frame deafness as a loss or limitation, arguing that her deafness has been a profound gift, granting her access, community, and self-determination. Interwoven with her personal narrative are broader reflections on religion, adoption, disability justice, and education in the deaf community. Nović situates her own story within systems that have historically marginalized people who are deaf or have disabilities, and her memoir feels like a cultural critique of how deaf people interact with the world. The tone is educational and intimate, and her voice is strongest when she reflects on the lives of her two young sons—one deaf and one hearing—whose experiences broaden her thinking about power, choice, and how language shapes family life across generations.