{"product_id":"finding-zoe-a-deaf-womans-story-of-identity-love-and-adoption-paperback","title":"Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman's Story of Identity, Love, and Adoption - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBrandi Rarus\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eGail Harris\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMarlee Matlin\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt just a few months old, Zoe was gradually losing her hearing. Her adoptive parents loved her--yet agonized--feeling they couldn't handle raising a Deaf child. Would Zoe go back into the welfare system and spend her childhood hoping to find parents willing to adopt her? Or, would she be the long-sought answer to a mother's prayers?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrandi Rarus was just 6 when spinal meningitis took away her hearing. Because she spoke well and easily adjusted to lip reading, she was mainstreamed in school and socialized primarily in the hearing community. Brandi was a popular, happy teen, but being fully part of every conversation was an ongoing struggle. She felt caught between two worlds--the Deaf and the hearing. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn college, Brandi embraced Deaf Culture along with the joys of complete and effortless communication with her peers. Brandi went on to become Miss Deaf America in 1988 and served as a spokesperson for her community. It was during her tenure as Miss Deaf America that Brandi met Tim, a leader of the Gallaudet Uprising in support of selecting the university's first Deaf president. The two went on to marry and had three hearing boys--the first non-deaf children born in Tim's family in 125 years. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrandi was incredibly grateful to have her three wonderful sons, but couldn't shake the feeling something was missing. She didn't know that Zoe, a six-month-old Deaf baby girl caught in the foster care system, was desperately in need of a family unafraid of her different needs. Brandi found the answer to her prayers when fate brought her new adopted daughter into her life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSet against the backdrop of Deaf America, \u003ci\u003eFinding Zoe\u003c\/i\u003e is an uplifting story of hope, adoption, and everyday miracles.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrandi Rarus\u003c\/b\u003e lost her hearing at age 6 after contracting spinal meningitis. From signing the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game to speaking at corporate conferences, she has traveled the country speaking out for Deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be Deaf. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrandi's roots in advocacy began in 1988 when she marched to Capitol Hill with thousands of people representing the Deaf community in the Deaf President Now movement. The protest paved the way for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, and changed the course of every deaf person's life. Today, Brandi is an executive with Communication Service for the Deaf, the largest nonprofit, worldwide organization serving the Deaf and hard of hearing community. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrandi and her husband Tim live in Austin, Texas, with their four children: three hearing boys and the youngest, Zoe, their adopted Deaf daughter. Brandi and her family are tirelessly dedicated to ensuring all children find their rightful place in our world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAward-winning writer and teacher of the intuitive process, \u003cb\u003eGail Harris\u003c\/b\u003e has experienced the joy of adopting a child. She brings her knowledge of the adoption process and in-vitro fertilization to this book, along with her ability to articulate from a hearing person's perspective what is fascinating about the Deaf experience. In the four years that it took to write \u003ci\u003eFinding Zoe\u003c\/i\u003e, Gail conducted more than 75 interviews to uncover. Gail is the author of \u003ci\u003eYour Heart Knows the Answer\u003c\/i\u003e and a featured blogger on several popular parenting blogs. She lives with her husband and son in Framingham, MA.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.1 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 01, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51768709415200,"sku":"9781950665785","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/fba16f35c5821c897535729f1364af4c.webp?v=1780335672","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/finding-zoe-a-deaf-womans-story-of-identity-love-and-adoption-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}