This was heartrending in places.

The book is based on the authors experience of teaching deaf children in a public school.

It does not make pleasant reading at times, with the battle to actually teach deaf children, rather than attempting to force them to speak English.

A hard read but rewarding.

I’m not sure why or how, but this seems to be the year where I am reading and consuming a lot of media by Deaf creators - and I am here for it! The Butterfly Cage is a memoir by a Deaf educator, featuring her experiences teaching first at a public school, and then at a specialised school for the deaf.

You can’t read this book and not get angry at the absurd amount of ableism that Deaf/HoH people have to deal with, but I think it is a necessary rage. The Butterfly Cage is not only necessary and educational, but also engaging and difficult to put down - an excellent combination in a memoir.

This book is an excellent resource, not only for hearing impaired children (and adults) but also for anyone teaching a disabled child. Beautifully written and researched

I am so happy this book was written! Zemach tells her personal story in a way that allows the reader to witness a variety of viewpoints surrounding being Deaf, along with giving a personal viewpoint of the challenges and rewards of being Deaf. There are so many concepts about being Deaf and the Deaf community that I now know I was completely unaware of, and this book allowed me a glimpse to improve my understanding. She is obviously passionate about her journey of helping others and she provided clear understanding of issues facing individuals who are Deaf through captivating storytelling. I appreciated how she provided reference to how those participating in actions that were not helpful, and at times harmful to students who are Deaf, by helping to understand the influence of society and misinformation vs blaming and shaming. I highly recommend this book!

This book reveals heartbreaking truths which those of us working with deaf children know all too well. It should be required reading for anyone with an interest in language development (spoken or signed), education, or deaf and hard of hearing children and adults.

As Rachel Zemach so skillfully explains, having high expectations without giving a child usable tools to reach those expectations, only leads to sorrow.

I have worked with deaf and hard of hearing children for many years and cannot count the number of children I have seen with severe language deprivation as they were not exposed to an accessible language during their early years. Rachel has seen them also.