Sign Language

A young girl grapples with the profound impact of her father's terminal illness in this poignant coming-of-age novel.

“You can’t help but want Abby to finally discover her own kind of peace, and readers will be pulling for her throughout her journey.”—Sarah Dessen

“Tells its story beautifully and movingly, and it earns its hopeful ending. Ackley is without question a talented writer.”—Nancy Werlin, New York Times bestselling author of Impossible

Twelve-year-old Abby North’s first hint that something is wrong with her dad is the scar that appears on his stomach after he goes in for kidney surgery. Soon, the thing she calls “It” has a real name: cancer. Before, her biggest concerns were her annoying brother, the crush unaware of her existence, and her changing feelings for her best friend, Spence, the boy across the street. Now, her mother cries in the shower, her father is exhausted, and nothing is normal anymore.