ASL Radio with Keith Wann - Turn a Deaf Ear - Book

Turn a Deaf Ear by Janet Fiore Horger and Linda Fiore Sanders is an intriguing mix of truth and fiction. It chronicles the budding romantic relationship between Linda, a typical, suburban Los Angeles teenager and John, a quiet and confident young man who is deaf and communicates with sign language. Set in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Turn a Deaf Ear poignantly depicts the disapproval this mixed couple garners from both the hearing and deaf worlds. Undeterred, the couple forge a unique life for themselves, winning the approval of family and friends. Linda immerses herself so deeply in the deaf world that her fluency in ASL aids others in the community and eventually, she becomes accepted by them.

Linda Fiore Sanders is the model for Linda in Turn a Deaf Ear. Linda provided the foundation for the stories in each chapter and her sister and co-author, Janet Fiore Horger  ficitonalized them for the book. This was a time where it was commonplace to display prejudice toward those who were different. Linda always rejected intolerance and was able to seize true love as a result. Linda is fluent in ASL and works in special education in central California.