April 5, 2022

A Piece of Home

Sara Nović on a real-life news story, middle schoolers, and her own experiences that inspired True Biz

A Piece of Home

Sara Nović on a real-life news story, middle schoolers, and her own experiences that inspired True Biz

TRUE BIZ had its earliest origin in a news clipping I read about a cochlear implant company facing legal repercussions for implanting malfunctioning devices in deaf patients. Even after they had evidence that a large number of the devices were faulty, they’d continued to sell them.

The idea that a company had approved defective apparatuses for surgical implantation into people’s heads, knowingly and for years, struck me deeply. I spent a lot of time thinking about why the scandal hadn’t been a bigger news story. I spent even more time wondering what that experience might feel like for the deaf person.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about why the scandal hadn’t been a bigger news story. I spent even more time wondering what that experience might feel like for the deaf person.”

At the time, I was out in Cincinnati feeling a little bit like an alien. In the U.S., I’d lived only on the East Coast, and I was accustomed to a faster pace and a certain brashness that some mistook for rudeness but in which I found a familiar comfort. In Ohio things were slower, and people were allegedly nicer. But I found them more wary of my Deafness than in New York or Philly, where people aren’t surprised by much of anything, let alone me.

So I spent a lot of those early days in Ohio wandering around alone, photographing abandoned buildings, writing, drinking too much coffee, and generally sticking out like a sore thumb. Then one night I walked by St. Rita School for the Deaf and saw a few girls, middle school-aged, who had come down from the dorms, giggling and brimming with secrets. I waved to them and stopped to talk. Our conversation unfurled the way Deaf conversations often do — as if we’d known each other for much longer. One day, they said, they too wanted to make it to New York City. Normally, talking about things back home made me wistful, but that night I realized a piece of home was in the arc of those girls’ hands, encoded into the language itself.

Society creates a lot of barriers for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, challenges that we take on daily with little recognition from the hearing world, and these are no doubt at the core of this book. But there is also an immense joy in Deafness, in sign language, and being in community with other Deaf people. I hope you find some Deaf joy here, too. Thanks so much for reading.

Soaking up the last few days of summer with this truly special book, Spectacular Things! ☀️

"If you enjoy layered family dramas with both heart and grit, this one is worth picking up."

📷+💬: @storiesbytheshoreline
Your favorite authors + online community IRL = Shine Away ☀️📖💞

Our annual #ShineAway event is coming up this October! From powerhouse speakers to an RBC-stocked bookshop, there's something for everyone during this inspiring weekend — and we can't wait to share  with all of you what this year has in store 👀

Early bird pricing ends TODAY! Grab your tickets now at the link in bio 🔗🎟️

Get ready for open conversations, lasting connections, and a whole bunch of bookish joy ✨
Enjoy this peaceful moment in the serene Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the setting of Once Upon A Time In Dollywood, taking in the day with author @AshleyJordanWrites herself! ✨

Throughout the book, Eve embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery, ultimately embracing these mantras as truths about herself. 💙
Kicking off the week on a high note by finishing Once Upon A Time In Dollywood and getting ready to hear from @AshleyJordanWrites on the latest episode of Bookmarked, the Reese’s Book Club podcast. 🎧📖

New episode drops tomorrow — and trust us, you won’t want to miss this one. Expect all the feels: romance, stepping out of your comfort zone, and the journey of writing a debut novel. We're calendaring it in! 

Listen tomorrow on the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen!
"I hope you will also find that there is reassurance, maybe even a promise, whether you’re coming of age or not: that your anger is righteous and just. That the endurance with which you face the world is admirable. That your vulnerability, your longing to be wanted just as you are, is worthy." — @afarolfollmuth

To girls and women everywhere, we see you. 💙
Welcome to the club, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood. 💙

📷: @therealbookhustler
"You are important and you are powerful. Just as you are, in yourself, standing alone. Don’t let anyone, and especially no man, treat you as anything less."

We're still hung up on this iconic line from Stuck Up and Stupid. A fantastic reminder that you are worthy and certainly not stupid. 🩷
This weekend’s mood: resting, recharging, and rendezvousing with every iconic and authentic version of Cate Kay. 🧖‍♀️✨
This book gives us all the fireflies (iykyk) ✨ It's just so easy to ship Eve and Jamie in Once Upon A Time in Dollywood. We’re always here for the sunshine-and-stormcloud duo that just make each other better 🌤️💙
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Reese’s Book Club and Gevalia have partnered to help you slow down and find your calm with the perfect tools: delicious coffee and a good book. It’s time to reclaim a moment of joy. Give yourself permission to pause and head to our link in bio to shop Gevalia coffee.