Home Signs

"Home Signs grew out of anthropologist Joshua Reno's experience of caring for and trying to communicate with his teenage son, Charlie, who cannot speak. In order to manage interactions with others, Charlie uses what are known as "home signs": gestures developed to meet his need for expression, ranging from the wiggle of a finger to a subtle sideways glance. Though he is non-verbal, he is far from silent; in fact, he is in constant communication with others. In this intimate reflection on language, disability, and togetherness, the author invites us into his and Charlie's shared world. Combining portraits of their family life and interviews with other caregivers, Reno upends several assumptions, especially the idea that people who seem to not be able to speak for themselves need others to speak on their behalf. With its broad exploration of non-verbal communication in both human and non-human contexts, Home Signs challenges us to think harder about what it means to lead a "normal" life and to connect with another person"--