Set Me Free (Show Me a Sign, Book 2)
Book 2 in Show Me a Sign
- Subject
- Historical - United States - 19th Century
- Age
- 9-12 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Scholastic Press
- Size
- 14.7 cm × 21.4 cm
- ISBN
- 9781338742497
“Instantly captivating…will keep readers hooked until the very end…A simultaneously touching and gripping adventure.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“Full of adventure and twists…a gripping tale of historical fiction.” -- Booklist
"Mary seems set to become a true hero-adventurer, an almost larger-than-life sleuth, teacher, and woman of action; and while the story’s subject matter is serious in its engagement with history’s ills, LeZotte conveys a sense of real enjoyment in having Mary disrupt…the prejudices and expectations of the status quo." -- The Horn Book
Three years after being kidnapped as a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown weary of domestic life on Martha's Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing.
So when an old acquaintance summons her to an isolated manor house outside Boston to teach a young deaf girl to communicate, Mary agrees. But can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? And is Mary up to the task? With newfound purpose, Mary arrives only to discover that there is much more to the girl's story--and the circumstances of her confinement--than she ever could have imagined. Suddenly, teaching her and freeing her from the prison of her isolation, takes on much greater meaning, and peril.
Riveting and complex, delicately nuanced and fervently feminist, Set Me Free is a masterful stand-alone companion to Show Me a Sign, and a searing exposé of ableism, racism, and colonialism that will challenge you to think differently about the dignity and capacity within every human being.
About the author
Ann Clare LeZotteAuthor
Data provided by BiblioShare.
What reviewers said
“Exciting and heartfelt throughout. Mary and her world are instantly captivating, and her daring rescue mission will keep readers hooked until the very end. In addition to the central themes of ableism and language deprivation, LeZotte naturally weaves in social issues of the time that still resonate today, including racism, colorism, feminism, and colonialism. Readers who enjoyed the previous title will be particularly delighted to read about Mary’s further adventures. A simultaneously touching and gripping adventure.”
“Full of adventure and twists, and LeZotte never shies away from addressing racism, ableism, or sexism…the book’s themes resonate today, as Mary fights for the rights of all people and offers hope to readers facing challenges. A gripping tale of historical fiction.”
"Throughout, as in the previous novel, LeZotte sensitively interweaves and illuminates historical, white attitudes toward deaf people, the Wampanoag people, and the Black population, all the while championing Mary’s forthright insistence that all be treated with respect. Mary seems set to become a true hero-adventurer, an almost larger-than-life sleuth, teacher, and woman of action; and while the story’s subject matter is serious in its engagement with history’s ills, LeZotte conveys a sense of real enjoyment in having Mary disrupt...the prejudices and expectations of the status quo."
"A riveting story of courage and compassion. I could not put this book down! By bringing the cruelties of our past out of the shadows, Ann Clare LeZotte shines a light for our way forward."
"Set Me Free kept me turning pages until the very end. Ann Clare LeZotte challenges us to examine our own often-skewed perspectives and reminds us that human dignity is innate and that kindness is a universal language." -- Ann E. Burg, author of the Claudia Lewis Award winner Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown
"Ann Clare LeZotte has given readers a beautiful gift. Set Me Free is a riveting story about a girl's struggle for deaf dignity and the hope for understanding." -- Aida Salazar, author of the Jane Adams Peace Award Honor book The Land of the Cranes
