If you are a Bachelor or BIP fan, this is worth a read! So interesting to read about Abi’s journey as a deaf person and how things really went down when she was on the show.

Abigail offers readers an intimate glimpse into her exploration of identity, communication, and experience of living with deafness in “The Deaf Girl”. I particularly enjoyed reading about her experience growing up and was sad to learn that the deaf community is not always kind to her because she has a cochlear implant, a choice made for her before she was even old enough to know what it was or what impact it would have on her life.

I must admit I have never watched The Bachelor, so I chose this book simply because I wanted to learn more about Abigail. If you are a big fan of the show, and you are hoping for some big reveals, you will not find them in this book. The last third of the book actually feels rushed and lacks in detail. I did not expect a tell-all of the behind-the-scenes, but it would have been nice to have more insight into her recent adult years, in general.

Prior to reading this book, I also believed these reality romance TV shows were all completely fake, so I am happy for Abigail she actually found someone on the show, and that they recently got married!

Overall, this heartfelt and engaging book sheds light on one facet of the deaf experience and Abigail’s own life. I appreciate reading stories that highlight the experiences of people with disabilities and how they navigate the world differently from others – and I don’t mean just able-bodied people but also others within their own community or with similar challenges.

Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction) for the ARC.

I absolutely loved watching Abby Herringer on The Bachelor with Matt James, and like many, I was stunned by how her journey on Bachelor in Paradise ended in heartbreak—or so I thought at the time. It turns out that those franchises were just the beginning of Abby’s story and her impact, especially within the Deaf community. What stood out to me back then was how she gracefully used the national platform to raise awareness about the Deaf community, something many viewers (including myself) might not have been deeply familiar with. But this book truly goes beyond the glitz and drama of reality TV and dives into the real person behind the screen: Abby Herringer.

I appreciated how this novel offered an intimate and raw look into Abby's life, which goes far beyond what we saw on television. So often, we think we know someone's story based on a few episodes or social media posts, but life is never as simple as it seems on the surface. In this case, we get a chance to understand Abby’s personal challenges, triumphs, and experiences in a way that shows both her vulnerabilities and her immense strength.

Her love for others, her kindness, and the harrowing aspects of her journey make this book a powerful and touching read. Abby's story reminds us that even when we think we know someone’s narrative, there’s always so much more to be told. And through this book, she continues to advocate for the Deaf community, offering a deeper insight into what it means to live in two worlds—one that can hear and one that does not.

This is a story that deserves to be told and retold, and Abby’s ability to bring light to important issues while staying true to herself makes this a must-read. Her resilience, grace, and compassion come through on every page, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking for an inspiring story about love, self-discovery, and the power of representation.

I was gifted a copy of Abigail Heringer’s autobiography and I’m so glad! She was one of my favorite Bachelor contestants and I’ve followed her on social media ever since. She just seemed like the sweetest and this book confirms it! It was really interesting to learn in more detail about cochlear implants and how Abigail and her sister, Rachel, had such different experiences with their’s! If you like The Bachelor, I definitely suggest her book! I just wish it had been longer and had a little more Bachelor in Paradise info!

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced read!

Loved listening to Abigail share her journey. She discusses her family, how hearing loss affected not only her but her sister and how her mother and grandparents were strong allies on their behalf. It was interesting to learn more about the thoughts she experienced during the bachelor and things you may not necessarily think about as a hearing person. Specifically while in the hotel leading up to her bachelor stay and the pressure of relying on others to alert her of situations. Also loved hearing about the bachelor and bachelor in paradise experiences which ultimately led her to Noah.

I don't watch The Bachelor, but this book intrigued me based on the content. I thought the author did a great job making readers understand her experience as a person with hearing loss, and I learned a lot from the book in that regard. It was fascinating to hear about her reality television experience as well!

I don't really agree with rating a memoir, as it is such a deeply personal thing. The story that Abigail told is uniquely her own, and I think it is wonderful that she wants to share it. She had some lovely insights and great points, especially revolving around disability representation. That being said, the writing was not the strongest I have read. It probably could have done with a bit more editing, but I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

As a deaf person, I was excited to read this book. I don't have cochlear implants like Abigail does, but I learned a lot from her. I also loved how she shared the perspectives of her and her sister on using their cochlear implants -- how they both differ in adjusting to them. It's such a sensitive subject in the deaf community and I hope this book will help to understand why cochlear implants are not a 'cure' for deafness/hearing loss. I admired Abigail her for maturity, honesty and advocating on this subject. I'm really happy that Abigail wrote this book, it was very informative but also fun to read about her 'The Bachelor' experience. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

This memoir was a great read. I am a nurse so I know more than the average person about deafness, but found myself learning so much from Abigail. She presented an excellent and intimate look into how a young mother and then her own self deal with deafness. I am also a Bachelor fan so I loved watching her on screen, and enjoyed the peak behind the curtain. I still am cheering her on via social media. Highly recommend this short and easy read.

I loved this book! I feel like anyone, Bachelor fan or not, would benefit from, and enjoy, reading this book. I learned a lot about the deaf community and gained insight on what her experience was like growing up.

My only issue with this book was the last paragraph. It felt very abrupt and rushed.

I enjoyed learning more about Abigail’s journey with a cochlear implant and that the book offered some perspective from her sister and mother. Ultimately it felt like it was a bit flat and didn’t have as much depth into other aspects of her life

The Deaf Girl - Abigail Heringer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Every time I failed to understand something and the people around me had to repeat themselves, I was an annoyance. It wasn't easy to communicate with me, and I was conscious of that.”

A memoir from a Bachelor Nation fan favorite, narrating her childhood growing up deaf to becoming the first deaf contestant on The Bachelor.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I knew this book would resonate with me but I didn’t realize how much. As someone who grew up with a hearing disability, so many of the descriptions hit dead on, down to the hearing testing booths I sat in all my life. I felt seen in so many of the fears and thoughts she had, from school with a disability (always a good reminder as a teacher) to dating. Obviously, I also enjoyed all the BTS of the Bachelor casting and filming process. Abigail is an amazing advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Admittedly, I'm probably not the appropriate audience for this book. I haven't watched the Bachelor in twenty years (unbelievable that the show has been on the air since 2002) and I hadn't watched the show that included the author. Recently I've read books that highlight challenges with people who are deaf or blind. (Live Like a Guide Dog by Michael Hingson, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice by David Tatel, The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team by Thomas Fuller). I like memoirs and overcoming challenges.

The author and her sister both grew up deaf and both had gotten cochlear implants. It seems that the sisters seemed to have very different approaches to the implants. One really seemed to really integrate it into her life and the other seemed to opt to turn it on when it was convenient. I kept thinking about how the Bachelor episode might have gone if the other sister had been on the show instead.

My other thought was that the author seemed to want to explain "her side" of the Bachelor experience. (Are connections on reality TV really real? Love only works if both people feel the connection.) I wonder how I would have felt about reading The Deaf Girl had I watched the episode that included the author. I'm guessing that if you are a regular Bachelor watcher, you will really enjoy The Deaf Girl.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for approving my request to read The Deaf Girl in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is Sept 10, 2024. Approx 240 pages. Seems like the book was written in conjunction with Abigail's mother.

Abigail left such an impression on me back in her Bachelor days that I knew I had to read her story! This memoir is short, sweet, and empowering. We only got to see a glimpse of Abigail throughout her time on television so it was refreshing to learn how she got there and where she is now. I FLEW through her story which is rare for me with memoirs hehe! Although I am not a member of the deaf community, I related to the personal struggles of Abigail figuring out who she was while making sure her adversities didn’t cause her to lose her sense of self. It feels a little silly to give a rating for someone’s life and experiences but this was a lovely glimpse into the life of a girl who is more than her time on the Bachelor. More than her cochlear implant and disability. A girl who is just Abigail! 5/5 stars!!

A endearing and insightful memoir about the challenges and triumphs Abigail experienced growing up deaf. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

As a casual Bachelor Franchise fan, this was an interesting read! I'm glad I got to learn more about Abigail aside from what we saw in Matt James' season and in Paradise. I learned a lot about the Deaf and deaf community through reading.

I grew up watching the Bachelor and Bachelorette and I can not even begin to say how much I adored Abigail. She had such a beautiful soul and this book just shined with that.

While I've been a loyal Bachelor viewer since the beginning, that wasn't what drew me to Abigail Heringer's memoir. It was actually her experience as a hearing-impaired person in a very hearing world, a life of which I'm very intimately familiar myself. The book, written with the help of a ghostwriter, charts Heringer's journey from a deaf child getting a cochlear implant to a woman meeting her now-fiance on the beaches of Bachelor in Paradise and watching him accept her disability without question or judgment. This book is told in first-person narration and its physically very short. While it is mostly about her self-discovery and empowerment journey, there are some nuggets for Bachelor Nation faithfuls -- it's just not the main point of this read.

I was happy to be able to read this as I am Deaf as well. I had heard of a Deaf contestant on the Bachelor but did not know her name until this book as I am not a fan of that show. It was easy to relate to most of Abigail's experiences, her sister's as well, as a Deaf person. My only issue is with the cochlear implants as I am adamant that such a voluntary surgery should wait until the patient is old enough to say yes or no to it - I don't agree with doing such a thing with young children since it is not a matter of life or death. But I'm also aware that hearing people insist on "fixing" the Deaf. Anyway, Abigail's mom has a lot of redeeming qualities when it comes to that. Interesting read.

I loved getting to learn more about Abigail’s background! She kept it interesting while also informative. I felt like it was a little repetitive at times but overall a great read and made me love her even more!!

Abigail Heringer's memoir is a quick, easy read- in a good way. Full disclosure, not a fan of The Bachelor. Abigail shares her experience as a (small d) deaf person. I found it interesting and it would be beneficial for those unfamiliar with Deaf culture or the experience of people with disabilities. Two caveats: I know why Abigail wrote so much about Rachel's experience but it took some away from reading about Her experience, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Heringer falls victim to what many women do in relationships and put the other person first to the exclusion of herself and quite frankly, I think she still is, even with Noah from her description. Abigail is okay all on her own and doesn't need validation from a guy to be okay.