In many ways, this book parallels "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by Betty Smith; both are autobiographical accounts of the lives of two women growing up in Brooklyn, New York, although from entirely different ethnic backgrounds. Where Betty Smith's account opens the reader to a world from a strong Irish-Catholic heritage in turn-of-the-century New York City, Ruth Sidransky's account starts a bit later and reveals her Jewish faith coupled with the feeling of exclusion from the hearing world, on behalf of her dear parents. Nevertheless, hardships and love are plentiful for both women and their families, with Ruth's a bit more complex. Both deal with sensitive issues such as child molestation, poverty, overcoming diversity, etc., but are handled with care, even at times with humor.
I would strongly recommend this book, particularly to students looking for insight into the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing world; additionally, it, like its counterpart, offers excellent historical, religious, cultural, sub-cultural, and ethnological perspectives of life in early to mid 1900's New York City.