Historical novel about the birth of sign language

Submitted: 4th April 2022

A novel inspired by amazing true fact

In 1817, a deaf woman called Jean Campbell who was accused of dropping her baby into the river in Glasgow. Due to her deafness, she was at more of a disadvantage than most people as there was no precedent for it. There was one man however who would make his mark in the role of interpreter. And so began the very early stages of what we know today as sign language….

But first, Jean Campbell and her trail await….

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Boarding Pass Information :

Destination :Glasgow and Edinburgh

Author guide: Sarah Smith

Genre: True life historical story fictionalised

Food and drink to accompany: Something Scottish such as salmon and potatoes

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BookTrail locations in Hear No Evil

This is the kind of novel I love to read. A figure from the past is given a voice and their story fictionalized in novel form with many true life threads woven through. This novel is inspired by the story of Jean Campbell, a deaf woman who lived in 1817 Glasgow. She was arrested for apparently having thrown her child into the River Clyde and that there is someone who saw her. This is her story and the story of the man who recognized that deaf people deserved the same justice as anyone else and so made the court trial possible using ab early form of sign language.

The novel does follow the trial of Jean Campbell but this is more the story of her interpreter Richard Kinniburgh. Now his story is very interesting but I wish I could have read more about Jean Camptell herself. Her story gets a little lost at times but Richard’s is so very compelling!

BookTrail locations in Hear No Evil

This is so much more than a story about deafness and the first trial of its kind. The subject of deafness in the 1800s was new and you can see the awkwardness and clumsy way it was dealt with at first. It made me think of the harshness of this time for women and then add the fact Jean was deaf and you have a fascinating story to tell. You get to explore the society at the time and see how people reacted to deafness. More importantly however, I realized how hard it must have been to have got any kind of justice if you were a woman back then. Add the alleged crime of child murder and the fact the suspect is deaf, and you have a great and complex subject to reveal.

I found out so much about deafness and speech, ways of communicating and the birth of sign language. What a story! I am now inspired to learn sign language as it’s something I have wanted to do for ages but never have. It would be wonderful if BSL was taught in schools but that’s another story.

A very unique read which places a spotlight on a often missed part of history.