But You Look So Normal

Lost and Found in a Hearing World

By: Claudia Marseille

Narrated by: Becky Parker

By age four, Claudia Marseille had hardly uttered a word. When her parents finally had her hearing tested and learned she had a severe hearing loss, they chose to mainstream her, hoping this would offer her the most “normal” childhood possible. With the help of a primitive hearing aid, Claudia worked hard to learn to hear, lipread, and speak even as she tried to hide her disability in order to fit in. As a result, she was often misunderstood, lonely, and isolated—fitting into neither the hearing world nor the Deaf culture.

This memoir explores Claudia’s relationships with her German refugee parents—a disturbed, psychoanalyst father obsessed over various harebrained projects and moneymaking schemes, and a Jewish mother who had survived the Holocaust in Munich—and with her own identity. Claudia shares how she emerged from loneliness and social isolation, explored her Jewish identity, struggled to find a career compatible with hearing loss, and eventually opened herself to a life of creativity and love.

But You Look So Normal is the inspiring story of a life affected, but not defined, by an invisible disability. It is a journey through family, loss, shame, identity, love, and healing as Claudia finally, joyfully, finds her place in the world.

©2024 Claudia Marseille (P)2024 Claudia Marseille

Heartfelt personal journey

I thoroughly enjoyed this educational and excellently written journey into the world of a severely hearing impaired girl. The author brings you into her world so that you can understand the challenges she faced daily when help was minimal. I really appreciated hearing her story.

My childhood seems so simple after reading Claudia’s book

Her telling of her experiences and her personal life are often classic of the time period yet so unique & challenging with the complexity of hearing loss. A must read.

a unique life story, vividly told

A unique and inspiring life story. The author takes us with her on her inner journey as she navigates challenges most of us never imagined, as well as more universal coming-of-age milestones, all with the added dimension of hearing loss. Each scene comes to life with vivid imagery and personal insight as she overcomes setbacks and makes bold choices to move forward. Well written and performed. I enjoyed it thoroughly and was sorry when it ended!

Moving, unique personal story

This moving, unique personal story will resonate with anyone who's every had parents they didn't fully understand, who didn't fully understand them. And it also offers funny, touching, surprising insights into what it was like for one little girl to grow up feeling isolated and othered. Highly recommend!