Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Villard (2012), Hardcover, 352 pages
Description
In this memoir, a daughter looks back on her unconventional childhood with deaf parents in rural Texas while trying to reconcile it to her present life, one in which her father is serving a twenty-year sentence in a maximum-security prison. As a child, she wished that she had been born deaf so that she, too, could fully belong to the tight-knit deaf community that embraced her parents. Her beautiful mother was a saint who would swiftly correct anyone's notion that deaf equaled dumb. Her handsome father, on the other hand, was more likely to be found hanging out with the sinners. Strong, gregarious, and hardworking, he managed to turn a wild plot of land into a family homestead complete with running water and electricity. To Kambri, he was Daniel Boone, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ben Franklin, and Elvis Presley all rolled into one. But if Kambri's dad was Superman, then the hearing world was his kryptonite. The isolation that accompanied his deafness unlocked a fierce temper, a rage that a teenage Kambri witnessed when he attacked her mother, and that culminated fourteen years later in his conviction for another violent crime. In this memoir she explores her complicated bond with her father, which begins with adoration, moves to fear, and finally arrives at understanding, as she tries to forge a new connection between them while he lives behind bars. This book is a portrait of living in two worlds, one hearing, the other deaf; one under the laid-back Texas sun, the other within the energetic pulse of New York City; one mired in violence, the other rife with possibility.… (more)
Media reviews
Elle Magazine
“Crews’ account (the title refers to lighting brush on fire to clear out snakes) is as well-paced and stirring as a novel. In her fluid narrative (she’s also a storyteller on the side, a gig that helped her develop this book), Crews neither wallows in self-pity nor plays for cheap
Show More
black-comedic yuks. Instead, this book stands out for what matters most: Crews’ story, bluntly told.” –ELLE magazine
Show Less
An impressive outpouring of compelling memoirs is being published. The best ones read like fine fiction. They churn with conflict and tension. This steady friction moves these stories along. Here are a pair of exemplary new offerings...
While there’s plenty of memoir fodder in the hearing-child-of-two-deaf-parents subject, Crews’s story has heartbreaking depth and complexity. With insight into her father’s feelings about deafness, his über-Christian family’s response to his violence against the women in his life, and the
Show More
culture of the deaf community, this is a rich read. Show Less
A New York publicist and producer’s unsparing yet compassionate account of her dysfunctional childhood and the father who both charmed and victimized her family.
Poignant and unsettling.
Poignant and unsettling.
“…a compelling testament to the strength of the human spirit.”
“Harrowing...A remarkable odyssey of scorched earth, collateral damage, and survival.”
In her intensely readable memoir, Crews, who owns a PR company in New York City, paints a vivid portrait of an impoverished childhood in rural Texas with hearing-impaired parents, her father who’s her hero turned monster.
User reviews
LibraryThing member GondorGirl
A unique memoir about growing up with deaf parents- and being able to hear. Crews writes with hope and humor, and her book was un-put-down-able! The writing style was lovely and concise... a great showing from an author I look forward to seeing more from.
LibraryThing member justablondemoment
Found this book to be very well written and engaging. Thought provoking for me as I found myself keep thinking how hard that must have been being able to hear yourself but having parents who couldn't . Many different levels of emotion going on with her story. I would definitely recommend this book.
LibraryThing member akblanchard
This book, yet another memoir of a hardscrabble childhood, has its slow spots, but it really gets going when the author describes her hearing-impaired father's descent into alcoholism, paranoia, and rage.
LibraryThing member dpappas
I had taken a couple of ASL classes before and really enjoyed it so I was interested in reading Kambri Crews' memoir. Kambri is the hearing daughter of two deaf parents (also known as a CODA. In her memoir Kambri talks about her chaotic life as a child and how it had affected her. She talks about
I loved how honest Kambri was in this memoir. She writes about some frightening and deeply personal events and doesn't hide anything. From her days living in a shed, to her father's violent rages against her and her mother, you can immediately connect with Kambri and find yourself cheering for her. I would recommend this book to family and friends.
*I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway which in no way affects the content of my review.*
Show More
life as a CODA, her parents' lives, a little bit about Deaf culture, and more emotional topics.I loved how honest Kambri was in this memoir. She writes about some frightening and deeply personal events and doesn't hide anything. From her days living in a shed, to her father's violent rages against her and her mother, you can immediately connect with Kambri and find yourself cheering for her. I would recommend this book to family and friends.
*I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway which in no way affects the content of my review.*
Show Less
LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
I enjoyed this book. I found myself very interested in Kambri's life while not at all being interested in her father's life. Kambri has great survival instincts which helped her through the hard times her parents put her through. I thought this was told in a real voice and I could relate to it.
Show More
There are many times when reading memoirs that I question the validity of it, but with this one, I felt Kambri was honest with her story. Show Less
LibraryThing member BAP1012
Kambri Crew's memoir about being raised by deaf parents enlightened me on the closeness of the Deaf community. Her candid stories about her childhood invoke thoughts of fun and terror. The book was a very quick read and I did enjoy many parts of it. Unfortunately, some of it reminded me too much of
Show More
other memoirs I've read. Show Less
LibraryThing member lfoster82
Just finished reading my Early Reviewers copy of Burn Down the Ground and really enjoyed it. I especially liked that the author signed the book :) Nice touch!
Ms. Crews takes us through her childhood in which she was raised by two deaf parents, one with slight hearing ability. The problems she faces
What I admired was her "nothing can bring me down" spirit, her determination, and her spunk.
Faced with the dilema of having a father in jail, she dealt with it pretty damn well! I honestly don't know if I would be so kind if I were in her situation.
Overall, a great book, quick read, and an inspiring story.
Ms. Crews takes us through her childhood in which she was raised by two deaf parents, one with slight hearing ability. The problems she faces
Show More
are much the same problems that a kids raised by hearing parents would encounter: a poor upbringing, a bully older brother, spousal abuse, etc.What I admired was her "nothing can bring me down" spirit, her determination, and her spunk.
Faced with the dilema of having a father in jail, she dealt with it pretty damn well! I honestly don't know if I would be so kind if I were in her situation.
Overall, a great book, quick read, and an inspiring story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookaholicgirl
While I found this book interesting and a good read, I can't say that it was great nor that it gave me great insight into the deaf world. I feel that the issues consuming her family had more to do with terrible parenting thanthe fact that her parents were deaf. Did the fact that her dad was deaf
I also never felt that the author "wished that she'd been born deaf so that she, too, could fully belong to the tight-knit Deaf community that embraced her parents". Throughout much of the book, her mother avoids the Deaf community because of what goes on in their home.
I almost feel as if this book does a disservice to the Deaf community by blaming her father's behavior on his disability rather than his own terrible choices and behavior. Based on the fact that her father had siblings who were deaf and did not behave as he did, it seems wrong to imply that all of the things that were wrong with this family were because of deafness rather than poor choices and addictiion.
While I admire the author (and her brother) for rising above a terrible upbringing and becoming a success, I don't feel that I understand any better what it is like to be raised by deaf parents after reading this book.
Show More
cause his drinking problems? Who knows. There are plenty of parents who behave as the parents in this book who happen to have their hearing. They are just terrible parents.I also never felt that the author "wished that she'd been born deaf so that she, too, could fully belong to the tight-knit Deaf community that embraced her parents". Throughout much of the book, her mother avoids the Deaf community because of what goes on in their home.
I almost feel as if this book does a disservice to the Deaf community by blaming her father's behavior on his disability rather than his own terrible choices and behavior. Based on the fact that her father had siblings who were deaf and did not behave as he did, it seems wrong to imply that all of the things that were wrong with this family were because of deafness rather than poor choices and addictiion.
While I admire the author (and her brother) for rising above a terrible upbringing and becoming a success, I don't feel that I understand any better what it is like to be raised by deaf parents after reading this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ellenflorman
[Burn Down The Ground] by [[Kambri Crews]] is an interesting look at her life growing up as a hearing child of deaf parents. She shares her unique perspective of what it is like to be responsible for much of the communication between her parents and the world at large. Her family life was somewhat
Show More
bohemian, and while her mother was hardworking and basically supported the family, her father was not able to hold a job for long even though he was a talented carpenter due to his temper and substance abuse. It is inspiring to see how much she had to overcome to get to the successful life that she enjoys today. I'm not convinced that all of the family's struggles can be attributed to the parents' deafness, but it is a remarkable story. Show Less
LibraryThing member fglass
This read was a quickie. It reminded me a bit of Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle".
In Kambri Crews' first book, she has written a most touching memorial of her life as a youngster. As a young girl along with her brother, David, they lived out a poor existence with their parents in the southwest.
Kambri, herself, made it out and into a normal existence. That's what I was rooting for all along.
In Kambri Crews' first book, she has written a most touching memorial of her life as a youngster. As a young girl along with her brother, David, they lived out a poor existence with their parents in the southwest.
Show More
We learn about the problems of being deaf and of being the child of Deaf adults (CODA). She shows, for a good part of her book, how the poor existed and still enjoyed some semblance of happiness. But then she shared with us the part that the ugly side of drugs, and alcohol, and emotional twists and turns played out in the family's lives.Kambri, herself, made it out and into a normal existence. That's what I was rooting for all along.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
I love memoirs, and Kambri Crews' BURN DOWN THE GROUND could very well turn out to be one of the best of 2012 - and it's her first book too. If Crews is like many women, she probably doesn't particularly like being reminded of her age, but I'm gonna say it anyway, because she's only forty, which
BURN DOWN THE GROUND is a magical mix of the ordinary and horrific, the story of a girl born to deaf parents. Kambri Crews was a "CODA" (child of deaf adults) in the parlance of the Deaf Community. She goes on to explain -
"The Deaf have their own language, arts, churches, and universities. Because of this, they are strongly bonded through shared history and life experiences, and view themselves as a distinct society."
The trouble is, deaf people also have to make a living, which is usually found in the world of the Hearing Community. And this does not always go smoothly. Crews' father, Ted Crews, was a particularly tragic case of this, a man who could never quite make that transition for long, although he was a man of many talents and skills in the world of carpentry and most areas of general contracting. Crews cannot really say for sure why her father had so many problems with authority and normal work routines. She did learn something of his childhood as a boarding student at an Oklahoma school for the deaf from the age of seven. Too young to understand, he thought his father had abandoned him there and perhaps never quite got over that.
She mentions too that her father's deafness made him feel insecure and paranoid, feelings which often escalated into jealousy, anger and violence, usually directed at her mother. As a child Kambri was unaware of this, and worshiped her handsome talented dad, who, with only his family's help, cleared a piece of scrub ground in the Texas woods and made them a home. This small unofficial settlement northeast of Houston in Montgomery County was called Boars Head. I thought of LORD OF THE FLIES, and Kambri, her brother and friends did indeed live a kind of dark and unsupervised wild-child existence there.
Although the Crews family lived from paycheck to paycheck, barely keeping ahead of the bill collectors and repo men, Kambri herself was an all-A student who loved sports, learning and reading until she hit puberty and briefly "fell in with a bad crowd," as we used to say. A move back to the city gives her a chance to start fresh in high school and she embraces this second chance, once again becoming an honor student and working full-time besides. During these years she learns more about the dark side of her parents' marriage, and even finally witnesses her drunken father's rage and his brutal battering of her mother. She finds a way out in a quick marriage to a local sailor and a move to Ohio. Although the marriage doesn't last, Kambri's determination to succeed does. She puts herself through college and works her way up into management in the banking industry, but isn't satisfied, so moves to New York and starts over again.
The Crews family has, in the meantime, disintegrated. Her parents have divorced and her brother, a reformed drug addict, has gone his own way. And perhaps I should point out that Kambri herself is no saint. She's had her own detours and lapses with drugs, alcohol and casual sex along the way. But always she keeps on trying to figure out her father. In fact her narrative is framed by a visit she is making to her father - the first in nine years - in Huntsville prison, where he is serving twenty years for assault and attempted murder. She can't cut him loose.
BURN DOWN THE GROUND is a beautifully written memoir. It offers a window into the world of the Deaf, but more particularly it tells the story of how one young woman managed to rise above her difficult beginnings in a troubled hardscrabble Texas family. But she won't forget them - refuses to. Family is family, and Kambri Crews' story is eloquent testament to that important fact.
I talk too much, I know. Bottom line: this is one helluva good read!
Show More
seems kinda young to be writing your memoirs. But the fact is she had a story worth telling - that she NEEDED to tell - and she does a fine job of it.BURN DOWN THE GROUND is a magical mix of the ordinary and horrific, the story of a girl born to deaf parents. Kambri Crews was a "CODA" (child of deaf adults) in the parlance of the Deaf Community. She goes on to explain -
"The Deaf have their own language, arts, churches, and universities. Because of this, they are strongly bonded through shared history and life experiences, and view themselves as a distinct society."
The trouble is, deaf people also have to make a living, which is usually found in the world of the Hearing Community. And this does not always go smoothly. Crews' father, Ted Crews, was a particularly tragic case of this, a man who could never quite make that transition for long, although he was a man of many talents and skills in the world of carpentry and most areas of general contracting. Crews cannot really say for sure why her father had so many problems with authority and normal work routines. She did learn something of his childhood as a boarding student at an Oklahoma school for the deaf from the age of seven. Too young to understand, he thought his father had abandoned him there and perhaps never quite got over that.
She mentions too that her father's deafness made him feel insecure and paranoid, feelings which often escalated into jealousy, anger and violence, usually directed at her mother. As a child Kambri was unaware of this, and worshiped her handsome talented dad, who, with only his family's help, cleared a piece of scrub ground in the Texas woods and made them a home. This small unofficial settlement northeast of Houston in Montgomery County was called Boars Head. I thought of LORD OF THE FLIES, and Kambri, her brother and friends did indeed live a kind of dark and unsupervised wild-child existence there.
Although the Crews family lived from paycheck to paycheck, barely keeping ahead of the bill collectors and repo men, Kambri herself was an all-A student who loved sports, learning and reading until she hit puberty and briefly "fell in with a bad crowd," as we used to say. A move back to the city gives her a chance to start fresh in high school and she embraces this second chance, once again becoming an honor student and working full-time besides. During these years she learns more about the dark side of her parents' marriage, and even finally witnesses her drunken father's rage and his brutal battering of her mother. She finds a way out in a quick marriage to a local sailor and a move to Ohio. Although the marriage doesn't last, Kambri's determination to succeed does. She puts herself through college and works her way up into management in the banking industry, but isn't satisfied, so moves to New York and starts over again.
The Crews family has, in the meantime, disintegrated. Her parents have divorced and her brother, a reformed drug addict, has gone his own way. And perhaps I should point out that Kambri herself is no saint. She's had her own detours and lapses with drugs, alcohol and casual sex along the way. But always she keeps on trying to figure out her father. In fact her narrative is framed by a visit she is making to her father - the first in nine years - in Huntsville prison, where he is serving twenty years for assault and attempted murder. She can't cut him loose.
BURN DOWN THE GROUND is a beautifully written memoir. It offers a window into the world of the Deaf, but more particularly it tells the story of how one young woman managed to rise above her difficult beginnings in a troubled hardscrabble Texas family. But she won't forget them - refuses to. Family is family, and Kambri Crews' story is eloquent testament to that important fact.
I talk too much, I know. Bottom line: this is one helluva good read!
Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
I just finished Kambri Crews book, Burn down the Ground that I received thru Libraything’s early reader. Her account of life growing up in a family with deaf parents, in Texas is often funny, scary, violent and touching. This woman is a survivor as are her Mom and brother. She writes in a way
Show More
that allows you to read about this raw, yet affectionate life they led. In spite of the anger I felt for the trauma they suffered, I gave the book 4 stars. It was well written, and very readable. Show Less
LibraryThing member khiemstra631
Author Kambri Crews grew up hard in Texas as a hearing child of deaf parents. She had one brother, David, who also could hear. This book is reminiscent of Alexandra Fuller's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight except that they happened on two different continents, Africa vs. North America. Both sets
Show More
of parents spent most of their time sloshed on booze while their offspring fended for themselves. Somehow, both sets of children survived and went to make something of themselves. The parents have all done well with the exception of Crews's father, Ted. He's in jail for twenty years for trying to decapitate his girlfriend, Helen. After this crime happened, Kambri, who by then lived in New York City, dug into his past and discovered a long record of felonies, drunk driving arrests and other crimes. As a fourteen-year-old, she witnessed a vicious attack by him against her mother. This contributed to her marrying at age seventeen and leaving Texas for good. Interspersed with her recollections of her childhood and later life is an account of her first visit with her father in prison. It's a sad, but fascinating story as is the case with so many of these recent books. The distinguishing factor of this book is its incites into deaf culture in America. That alone makes it worth reading. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it and would recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jrquilter
This book is about the life of Kambri Crews, the hearing daughter of deaf parents. Her family was poor and highly dysfunctional. The memoir is largely about the many difficulties she experienced growing up in an abusive home. At times if felt as though her father's deafness was used as an excuse
Show More
for his bad behavior. I was hoping for much more insight into deaf culture. Show Less
LibraryThing member kjeanqu
As a hearing child of two parents who are deaf, her parents not being able to hear is the least of author Kambri Crews problems. Her father is an angry expolosive man, who ultimately makes it impossible to live with and/or maintain a relationship with. Kambri Crews however, is able to rise above
Show More
such a difficult set of circumstances and become a seemimgly happy and well adjusted adult. I found the memoir to be funny, sad and very readable. Show Less
LibraryThing member Alie
Kambri is a hearing daughter of two deaf parents and her book explores her journey to adulthood, through interesting, funny, and sometimes difficult stories. She talks about her difficult relationship with her father and his fall from grace, and how she has come to terms with it as an adult. An
Show More
incredibly interesting read, bringing up things I would never have thought about as a hearing person with hearing parents. I feel I walk away from this book with a better understanding and appreciation for the deaf community as well as being very impressed with the person Kambri has become with the childhood difficulties she overcame. An excellent read. Show Less
LibraryThing member QueenAlyss
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I had completely forgotten about it until I pulled some books out of hiding. I personally thought the beginning was slow but I realized at the end that the author was creating a slow roll to the grand finale. Crews actually did a good job and it was well
Show More
worth the read to learn about ASL and to experience her personal writing style, but it isn't a book I Would recommend to most or one I'd be eager to re readmany times. It was just a pleasant evening read. I do recommend it if you're looking for something different. Show Less
LibraryThing member dysmonia
Well-written and poignant, this memoir was a nice change from my usual biographical fare, which is mostly comprised of mental illness treatises and rape survivor stories.
Kambri Crews grew up a hearing child with deaf parents, so the reader is treated to an interesting and valuable education aboutan abusive childhood at the hands of a predatory father and a battered mother . How deeply these problems run and how profoundly they shaped Kambri's childhood isn't really clear until the end. The majority of the book lives up to the Jeannette Walls/The Glass Castle comparison, although this memoir offers insight and ruminations rather than just a linear account of unusual childhood circumstances. (I would recommend this over The Glass Castle in terms of appeal as a good read.)
One small aside -- a nitpick: at the beginning, the author makes a big deal out of recounting her mother's "deaf, not dumb" slogan; as in, "deaf, not unintelligent." "Dumb" was originally slang for "mute," and deaf people sometimes are mute -- as in not communicating via voice. I would never use the phrase because it does have a negative connotation, but equating "dumb" in the phrase "deaf not dumb" with "stupid" is inaccurate from what I understand. Dumb = mute.
Kambri Crews grew up a hearing child with deaf parents, so the reader is treated to an interesting and valuable education about
Show More
the Deaf community. Ostensibly, though, that's not what the book is about. Kambri is not deaf, and although being Deaf is a large part of her parents' identity, this is her memoir, not theirs. In the end, it's the story of One small aside -- a nitpick: at the beginning, the author makes a big deal out of recounting her mother's "deaf, not dumb" slogan; as in, "deaf, not unintelligent." "Dumb" was originally slang for "mute," and deaf people sometimes are mute -- as in not communicating via voice. I would never use the phrase because it does have a negative connotation, but equating "dumb" in the phrase "deaf not dumb" with "stupid" is inaccurate from what I understand. Dumb = mute.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MurphyWaggoner
About halfway through thic book I had to ask myself why I read so many memoirs. One reason might be that I am looking for the comfort of reading about someone with a similar background to my own. Crews satisfied that need for me. Although she is 13 years younger than I am, her formative years were
At first, Crews’ writing was humorous in a surprising way, and I read passages out loud to my husband. The writing is clear, simple and well-paced, but a little uneven. The surprising humor gave way to a matter-of-fact telling of growing up uncertain of where they would be living the next year. Violence enters their family life, and Crews conveys her fear well, but I felt that the writing changed again at that point. Crews’ experiences reflect what happens to many families when the violence is hidden or when it is connected to psychological problems. Of value in this book is Crews' description of what happens if we don’t recognize the trauma that victims of violence experience.
I was most interested in a this book because of the child’s view of the Deaf community. I learned some things I hadn’t known before, like that deaf people can be loud neighbors because they don’t realize they are making noise. Crews also shares the discrimination her parents experienced in a time before the American's with Disabilities Act.
Overall, a good book except for some unevenness. Important issues are raised like education for the deaf and the way domestic violence was handled in the 80s.
Show More
very similar to mine – living in meager circumstances in a family with little communication of consequence. She lived a somewhat sheltered life, spending most of her time with her family and with few, if any, close friends. She read, swam, played games with her family, played basketball and ran around the countryside where they lived. She was isolated from our parents, because they were deaf. If you call out in the middle of the night when you were scared, no one can hear you to come comfort you.At first, Crews’ writing was humorous in a surprising way, and I read passages out loud to my husband. The writing is clear, simple and well-paced, but a little uneven. The surprising humor gave way to a matter-of-fact telling of growing up uncertain of where they would be living the next year. Violence enters their family life, and Crews conveys her fear well, but I felt that the writing changed again at that point. Crews’ experiences reflect what happens to many families when the violence is hidden or when it is connected to psychological problems. Of value in this book is Crews' description of what happens if we don’t recognize the trauma that victims of violence experience.
I was most interested in a this book because of the child’s view of the Deaf community. I learned some things I hadn’t known before, like that deaf people can be loud neighbors because they don’t realize they are making noise. Crews also shares the discrimination her parents experienced in a time before the American's with Disabilities Act.
Overall, a good book except for some unevenness. Important issues are raised like education for the deaf and the way domestic violence was handled in the 80s.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LeAnn.Campbell
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and a great story. It was interesting to learn what it was liking living with deaf parents. There are also elements of poverty, domestic violence, and drug abuse. It's amazing how well Kambri turned out considering everything that was working against her. 3
Show More
1/2 stars Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
It was an okay read. I don't know why it just didn't grab me and I confess that I skimmed some parts. The thing that I thought stood out the most was how the author explained many things about the deaf culture that are not even thought of by people that can hear. I will have to give Kambri Crews a
Show More
great deal of credit for writing from compassion and honesty. It's on the same order as Jeanette Walls [The Glass Castle]. The two authors shared very similar backgrounds. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2012-02-28
Physical description
352 p.; 5.73 inches
ISBN
0345516028 / 9780345516022