Meet Ann Clare LeZotte

author of Show Me a Sign and Set Me Free

What is Show Me a Sign about?

Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Many people there — including Mary — are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary’s always felt proud and confident. But things have changed. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. She will have to fight for her freedom and the right to be herself.

If you had a time machine, what period would you visit?

Researching Show Me a Sign, I learned that deaf people were treated as inferior beings in early American history. Even as a child in the 1970s, people stared when I used sign language in public. Today, more people are learning American Sign Language and technology like email and texting makes our lives easier. I’d like to travel to the future to see how things continue to progress for deaf people!

What kind of advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Not everyone will like your writing or support you as a writer. Find people who encourage you. If, like me, you’re not a good student or started reading later than other kids, it doesn’t mean you can’t write your own story. It may take longer than other people, but that doesn’t matter. In the end, a good book is a good book.

Do you have a service animal?

I’ve had dogs trained as Hearing helpers in the past. When I got my rescue dog Perkins, I didn’t think he’d be a good service dog. But as he’s grown up, he’s become focused and alert. I watch him react to sounds to help me know if I left the water running or if someone is knocking on the door.  He never barks—he knows it won’t get my attention!

Will there be a companion book to Show Me a Sign?

Yes! In Set Me Free, Mary is three years older. She accepts a job as a tutor for an abandoned deaf girl with many secrets at a mysterious manor. Many of the familiar characters from Show Me a Sign return and you’ll meet some new ones. I hope you enjoy Set Me Free when it is released in September 2021!

About Ann

Ann Clare LeZotte is the author of the Schneider Family Book Award-winning novel Show Me a Sign. A passionate advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as underserved youth from marginalized communities, Ann worked for many years as a youth librarian. Set Me Free, a standalone companion to Show Me a Sign, will be published in September 2021. Ann lives in Gainesville, Florida. She loves to zip off to the beach in St. Augustine and walk her rescue dog Perkins.