Reviewed by Kate Champlin
Content Warning: Ableist Language
Echoes in My Eyes chronicles Sargent’s life with her twin sister, Renée Nicole. The poems articulate a deep bond forged through shared language, shared adversity, fun, and typical sibling squabbling. As happened with Seeing Voices (2022), Echoes in My Eyes is dedicated to Renée Nicole.
Sargent recounts how the twins did not learn American Sign Language (ASL) until they were seven years old. Before that, the hard-of-hearing Sargent communicated with her Deaf twin through home sign. As Sargent recalls:
Four consecutive twists of the wrist
with curled three-year-old fingers
holding an invisible soup can
translated to: Time to go to the food store with Mommy (14)
Sargent’s mother always turned cans over at the supermarket because the price was on the bottom of the can. Her children used this common gesture to convey a concept. Deaf children use this type of home sign to communicate with their families when they have no access to an official language. Many sources note that home sign is not varied or expressive enough for children’s communication needs. However, home sign does provide some language, and home signers from different backgrounds can often understand each other.
In this case, Kelly Sargent and her twin forged their private language together. Even the adults in the family were excluded from this home communication. The twins’ parents either ignored Renée Nicole’s need for a language or felt unqualified to provide one. Instead, the twins created their own language space. Deafness in a hearing world often makes children socially and linguistically isolated. Renée Nicole’s Deafness instead became the basis for a language community of two, a privileged space for sharing information and emotion.
Sargent further anticipated her sister’s needs by translating school lessons for her. The twins’ kindergarten both separated them and failed to provide an accessible education. Both sisters’ classes were taught entirely through spoken information. Renée Nicole admitted on the bus ride home, nearly every day, that she had no idea what her teacher or classmates had said. As a response, the twins played school every day, Kelly teaching, Renée Nicole asking questions and then teaching the same information to her beloved stuffed owl. When Renée Nicole enrolled later in ASL education, teachers were amazed by how much she already knew. Renée Nicole communicated her needs to her sister, and her sister was empathic enough to provide the information she needed. As a result, Renée Nicole gained years on her peers who had less effective support networks.
Sargent was also aware of the discrimination aimed at her sister by other children. She strategically mistranslated these words to avoid passing the discrimination along. Thus, “your sister is retarded” became “He’s mad because he can’t do a somersault as good as yours” in Kelly Sargent’s hands (18). She also turned to spit or make rude gestures when her sister’s back was turned. Renée Nicole undoubtedly knew how much social discrimination she faced from her peers. However, she also grew up knowing that she had a staunch ally in Kelly.
The twins’ childhood was not always a fight against adversity, and Sargent also chronicles the family fun she shared with her twin. Sargent colored her sister’s ASL manual with her. Renée Nicole identified with owls as a child because owls have large eyes and no visible ears. She owned a progression of stuffed owls simply called “Owl.” At night, Renée Nicole slipped into her sister’s bed so that the twins could continue chatting after darkness made it impossible to sign to each other normally. Their parents would hear their giggles and break up the conversation. And, of course, Sargent notes that her sister had the upper hand in any sibling argument. As Sargent recalls:
My twin sister used to shut her eyes
to shut me up when we argued.
—
I’d reach out
to touch her hand.
I can’t shout if I’m holding yours.
Truce? (36)
Echoes in My Eyes ends by chronicling Renée Nicole’s adolescence at a residential school, her adult relationship with her sister, and changes that occurred in their lives. These poems show Sargent’s obvious pride at her sister’s accomplishments, which include a Master’s degree in science, scuba diving certification, and two backpacking trips across Europe. The book is also dedicated to Renée Nicole’s three children.
The poem “Seed Fruit” is especially poignant. This poem is directly addressed to Renée Nicole and chronicles a conversation that occurred while Renée Nicole was in the hospital. As Sargent recalls:
I wrap your limp hand around signed letters
that I form with fingers
over and over and over again: P-l-e-a-s-e-d-o-n-t-l-e-a-v-e-m-e (33)
In her final poems, Sargent touches her reflection in the mirror to get as close to her sister as she can. She watches an owl fly away and wraps herself in the frayed cardigan her sister wore while in the hospital. Her love and longing are vividly evident.
These poems are ultimately a celebration of the family bond and of Renée Nicole, a Deaf person who accomplished a great deal despite the discrimination she faced and endured. Readers will respect and empathize with both twins.
Title: Echoes in My Eyes
Author: Kelly Sargent
Publisher: Kelsay Books
Date: 2024
Note
Back to Top of Page | Back to Book Reviews | Back to Volume 18, Issue 2 – Winter 2024-2025
About the Reviewer
Kate Champlin (she/her) is a late-deafened adult and a graduate of Ball State University (Indiana). She currently works as a writing tutor and as a contract worker for BK International Education Consultancy, a company whose aim is to normalize the success of underserved students.