Fourteen year old Elias Van Helder is different from the other kids of Hartford Connecticut. He's deaf. D-E-A-F. His parents and his older brother think thats a problem. They believe he's an embarassment. His sister Sofie, thinks otherwise. She's taught everything she knows. But one day, Elias's life changes forever. He is introduced to the very first school for the deaf in American history. Elias is detirmined to excel, despite his parents critism. This story blends fact and fiction. Many of these characters were real-life people.