Review by Ansom McKim
in the Advocate, Jan 7,1998
I was fortunate enough to meet the author
who lives not too far from our community and who generously donated a
copy of this book to our library.
Not Deaf Enough, (the title is devastating in
itself!) can be read on at least two levels.
The first is obvious. The author, mother of a child
with hearing deficiencies, gives the reader an account and the benefit
of her and her family's' experiences when the 'system' proved deficient.
The advice given is practical and focused and comes from an intelligent,
tenacious, loving, resourceful and articulate woman. Candlish pulls no
punches and does not "pussyfoot" around the problem.
If you are fortunate enough not to have had a major
challenge of this sort in your family then read the book from the
perspective of someone who felt that the outside world should get a
return on her and her family's investment. It isn't difficult to imagine
the financial expense let alone the emotional expense incurred by the
family in this project. With any luck this book will inspire others to
give help and support to others less fortunate. There should be other
books written so clearly.
A third level, of course, is that the book is also a
character sketch of someone who is playing the hand that she has been
dealt without whining and without asking for a new deal. Good on you
PAM!
