What do you think?
Rate this book
Signs of Life
Unable to grieve after the death of her twin sister, seventeen-year-old Hannah accompanies her parents to Lascaux, France, where she visits the caves and discovers an astonishing connection between herself and her prehistoric ancestors.
121 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
24 people want to read
About the author
Jean Ferris
29 books208 followersThis author is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects: living with a deaf parent (Of Sound Mind), facing the consequences of a criminal act (Bad), or questioning one's sexuality (Eight Seconds). But Jean Ferris is also adept at writing comedy, historical fiction, and romance. What's most interesting is that she didn't publish her first novel until she was in her mid-40s. Yet she's never forgotten the intense feelings and changes of her own teenage years. Critics as well as teen readers have seen the evidence of that in her writing and have honored her novels with a number of awards, from Best Books for Young Adults to various state and National Book Award nominations.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 8, 2020
This was a reread (the first time I read this book was in high school). To this day I can’t think about Lascaux without this book popping up in my head.
To summarize, after Hannah and her family experience the loss of her twin Molly (this is not a spoiler, it’s written on the book jacket!), they spend their first holiday away together in France – specifically in the area surrounding the caves at Lascaux.
Details ahead, but remember this book has been out since 1995. I consider it too old for spoilers ^^
What I most remember from my first read are Hannah's visions that allow her to experience life through the eyes of An-Nay, a prehistoric girl her age (maybe even her in a former life). The dreams are juxtaposed against Hannah’s reality: this “vacation” is a break from the life Hannah left behind in America – a life that died with Molly.
Life in An-Nay’s time cycles between short, languid summers of plenty and long, harsh winters that make starvation and extinction a very real prospect. An-Nay experiences this firsthand when she is attacked by a lion while foraging and nearly killed. Thousands of years later, Hannah’s life is not so different from An-Nay’s fragile existence. Before Molly’s death, she had the luxury of thinking that her loved ones would always be around her. Like An-Nay, her encounter with death leaves her questioning her purpose and fearful of losing more.
This book addresses grief and its many manifestations directly. Hannah refuses to cry and avoids bringing up Molly, choosing to bottle up her feelings. Her mother shuts down emotionally and sleeps all day, often refusing to engage with the family. Her father leans into the emotion, overcome with tears when he thinks of Molly, but continues to reach out to Hannah and her mother, acting as a bridge between them. Even Stefan grieves the loss of his brother; though he is alive, Stefan’s clan refuses to speak his name.
While brief, the few days Hannah spends with gentle, open-minded Stefan and little Fifi help her discover that life continues even after all hope seems lost. Yes, he reawakens her desire, but he also inspires Hannah to keep her sister in her thoughts in the same way he does with his outcast brother. Stefan also introduces the idea of reincarnation to Hannah, reinforced by her father, planting the idea that Hannah doesn’t have to feel guilty for taking pleasure in new experiences; maybe Molly is the one having a great time in her new life, wishing she could share it with Hannah.
The circus scenes are the most memorable because they are just so pure, full of childlike innocence and absurdity that contrast with An-Nay’s and Hannah's fears of moving on. Switching from joy to fear, aloofness to tenderness, the narrative itself mirrors the roller coaster of emotions that encompass grief. Hannah allowing herself to be open to new experiences (and eventually releasing her tears) are signs that there is still life within her ready to be lived. She’s not fully recovered, but she’s on the way there.
All in all, this story is a skillful portrayal of grief (for all ages) that brought tears in some places. Worth the reread.
To summarize, after Hannah and her family experience the loss of her twin Molly (this is not a spoiler, it’s written on the book jacket!), they spend their first holiday away together in France – specifically in the area surrounding the caves at Lascaux.
Details ahead, but remember this book has been out since 1995. I consider it too old for spoilers ^^
What I most remember from my first read are Hannah's visions that allow her to experience life through the eyes of An-Nay, a prehistoric girl her age (maybe even her in a former life). The dreams are juxtaposed against Hannah’s reality: this “vacation” is a break from the life Hannah left behind in America – a life that died with Molly.
Life in An-Nay’s time cycles between short, languid summers of plenty and long, harsh winters that make starvation and extinction a very real prospect. An-Nay experiences this firsthand when she is attacked by a lion while foraging and nearly killed. Thousands of years later, Hannah’s life is not so different from An-Nay’s fragile existence. Before Molly’s death, she had the luxury of thinking that her loved ones would always be around her. Like An-Nay, her encounter with death leaves her questioning her purpose and fearful of losing more.
This book addresses grief and its many manifestations directly. Hannah refuses to cry and avoids bringing up Molly, choosing to bottle up her feelings. Her mother shuts down emotionally and sleeps all day, often refusing to engage with the family. Her father leans into the emotion, overcome with tears when he thinks of Molly, but continues to reach out to Hannah and her mother, acting as a bridge between them. Even Stefan grieves the loss of his brother; though he is alive, Stefan’s clan refuses to speak his name.
While brief, the few days Hannah spends with gentle, open-minded Stefan and little Fifi help her discover that life continues even after all hope seems lost. Yes, he reawakens her desire, but he also inspires Hannah to keep her sister in her thoughts in the same way he does with his outcast brother. Stefan also introduces the idea of reincarnation to Hannah, reinforced by her father, planting the idea that Hannah doesn’t have to feel guilty for taking pleasure in new experiences; maybe Molly is the one having a great time in her new life, wishing she could share it with Hannah.
The circus scenes are the most memorable because they are just so pure, full of childlike innocence and absurdity that contrast with An-Nay’s and Hannah's fears of moving on. Switching from joy to fear, aloofness to tenderness, the narrative itself mirrors the roller coaster of emotions that encompass grief. Hannah allowing herself to be open to new experiences (and eventually releasing her tears) are signs that there is still life within her ready to be lived. She’s not fully recovered, but she’s on the way there.
All in all, this story is a skillful portrayal of grief (for all ages) that brought tears in some places. Worth the reread.
Displaying 1 of 1 review