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True Biz
True biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk
True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the hearing headmistress, a CODA (child of deaf adult(s)) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another--and changed forever.
This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.
These book club discussion questions were prepared by Bookclubs staff.
Book club questions for True Biz by Sara Novic
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
How familiar were you with the Deaf community prior to reading this novel? If you have any experience with Deaf culture yourself, how accurately do you feel the book captures it? If you were unfamiliar, how did this book change your view of the Deaf community? What most surprised you?
Discuss the role of cochlear implants in the story. What arguments does the book make both for and against their use?
What did you think about the sections between each chapter that explained how ASL works and shared Deaf history and culture? Did these sections add to the story for you, or take you out of the plot? What was the most interesting thing you learned from them?
Charlie's mother refuses to accept her deafness and pushes her to blend into hearing society. How do you feel about her approach compared to Charlie's father's willingness to learn ASL? Do you think her views change at all by the story's end?
What challenges did Charlie's language deprivation create for her? How did this lack of language access impact her behavior and development?
Austin comes from an esteemed Deaf family, while Charlie's family rejects Deaf culture. How do their backgrounds shape their identities and worldviews?
How does Charlie's experience at River Valley transform her view of herself and her deafness? What other characters experience similar transformations?
How are race and cultural identity explored through the characters? Consider the introduction of Black ASL in the story.
Why do you think February doesn't share news of the school's possible closure with her wife or employees earlier on? Discuss how keeping secrets impacts relationships in the book.
Discuss how Austin’s family reacts when it’s discovered that his new sister is hearing. How does each family member take the news? What does their reaction reveal about their view of themselves and of their family?
Whose point of view did you most enjoy inhabiting? Who would you have liked to hear more from?
The story concludes without resolution on whether River Valley will remain open. Why do you think the author left the ending open in this way? What do you think will happen to the school and to the characters?
The author states in her note that many Deaf schools have closed in recent years. What do you think this means for Deaf culture and rights?
True Biz Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the True Biz discussion questions