Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte – Book Review

Title: Set Me Free Author: Ann Clare LeZotte Publisher: Scholastic Press Release Date: September 21, 2021

Several years after Mary Lambert was treated as a “live specimen” and subjected to a cruel experiment, she receives a letter asking her to serve as a teacher of sorts for a young child in a wealthy household. The eight-year-old girl is deaf, like Mary, and needs a teacher to help her communicate. After much consideration, Mary heeds the call and vows to do whatever it takes to help the young child. Yet, upon her arrival at the manor, Mary quickly realizes nothing is as it seems. Thus, Mary sets out to face yet another harrowing and challenging conflict that will test her limits and change her forever.

Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte is a powerful novel. Mary’s moral compass and fight against numerous forms of discrimination make for a riveting story. It is all at once historical fiction, #ownvoices, and unapologetically feminist. Many authors try to tackle a range of issues in a single text but struggle to weave these threads into a singular narrative. LeZotte on the other hand does so seamlessly. Set Me Free is such a page turner, it is not until a reader finishes Mary’s story that one will be able to fully contemplate and grapple with the timeless, important lessons imbued within its pages. The novel’s layers are nuanced and do demand closer examination though. Other elements augment Set Me Free’s brilliance. For one, the writing is exquisite. The strong language elevates Mary’s experiences as a deaf person facing anti-deaf attitudes.  Although Set Me Free is a sequel to Show Me a Sign, the novel can stand alone (as this reader admittedly did not read the first). LeZotte’s ability to craft such a distinct, distinguished novel proves it is indeed a rare gem in the middle grade genre.

Educators will have no trouble finding ways to incorporate Set Me Free into the curriculum. Set during the post-Revolutionary War, the historical aspects of the novel capture a comprehensive portrait of a complex time period. From First Nations conflicts to ableism and racism, Set Me Free can be used for a cross-curricular unit, literature circles, project-based learning, book pairings, and more. The opportunities are seemingly endless and each avenue of exploration will lead students to a richer understanding of the novel’s myriad themes and topics.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Scholastic Press, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

• Cross-Curricular Unit – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the history of deaf culture and sign language in America.
• Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading historical fiction.
• Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books that focus on deaf culture.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

• Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) History
• History of Chilmark
• American Sign Language (ASL) History
• Mary Wollstonecraft
• Blue Stockings Society
• History of the Wampanoag First Nation

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Set Me Free. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

• Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• El Deafo by Cece Bell (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk (Character Connections, Themes)

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