Reviews for Orchid of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness

The average rating for Orchid of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-07-18 00:00:00 Tiffany Horne Several books ago I read Murder on Lexington Avenueby Victoria Thompson and got an overview of the issues involved in deaf education during the Victorian period. In this book I got an update. I am relieved to know that the deaf community won the battle, and signing is now the preferred mode of communication in schools for the deaf. Catherine Fischer shows how this battle over her education affected her. Her account of her life is very touching. I cried when she was diagnosed with Usher syndrome. This means that she is genetically pre-disposed to go blind gradually. Although Usher's syndrome is relatively rare in the general population, Catherine learned that as many as 10% of Cajuns are born with this condition. Catherine had to research Cajun history and her own family to discover the cause of this problem. She learned that one of her ancestors was called "Le Sourd" which means "the deaf" in French. This also a family surname. I'd be interested in finding out the history of the Le Sourd family. I found this book to be very readable, compelling and informative.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-08-30 00:00:00 Christopher Rogacki I didn't think I would like this book but it really read like a novel. The only thing I didn't like is how the end wrapped up so quickly. Many parts of her life that would have been interesting to hear for breezed over. She doesn't talk about her blindness until the last 2 chapters, then she hurries and ends the book.