True Biz

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission.

True Biz book cover

by Sara Nović

Publication date: April 5, 2022
Publisher: Random House
Hardcover: 400 Pages

Publisher Description

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Oprah Daily, The Millions, Lit Hub, Publishers Weekly, BookPage

True biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk

True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the hearing headmistress, a CODA (child of deaf adult(s)) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever.

This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.

Goodreads button

Amazon e1588834654345BookshopLogoTeaserJanuary2019 e1617878930694

About the author

Sara Nović holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she studied fiction and literary translation. Her first novel, Girl at War, won the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She is an instructor of Deaf studies and creative writing, and lives in Philadelphia with her family.

Read more about Sara ON HER WEBSITE

Praise


“Part tender coming-of-age story, part electrifying tale of political awakening, part heartfelt love letter to Deaf culture, True Biz is wholly a wonder.”—Celeste NgNew York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere

Read more

 

“This important novel should—true biz—change minds and transform the conversation.”—Maile MeloyThe New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Rollicking, immersive, and boldly, exquisitely felt, True Biz delves into the deepest questions about community, communication, and collective action, inviting the reader into a world of language made new.”—Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun

“In confident, funny prose, True Biz asks the question of all questions: Who are my people? And then, with enormous attunement to the embodied experience of being deaf and being human, answers it.”—Emma Copley Eisenberg, author of The Third Rainbow Girl

“Sara Nović’s gifts for character, story, and language are evident from the first page. True Biz feels like the discovery of a new written form, a love letter to language itself.”—Liz MooreNew York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River

.

ALSO IN 

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

RECOMMENDED POSTS

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

error: Content is protected !!

Looking for Book Club Recommendations?

Join now and get access to our exclusive content!

Become a Passionate Reader

Say YES to your reading routine!