Frontmatter -- Contents -- 1. "They Were Just Like Everyone Else" -- 2. The History of Martha's Vineyard -- 3. The Origins of Vineyard Deafness -- 4. The Genetics of Vineyard Deafness -- 5. The Island Adaptation to Deafness -- 6. Growing Up Deaf on the Vineyard -- 7. Deafness in Historical Perspective -- 8. "Those People Weren't Handicapped" -- Appendix A. Oral and Written Sources -- Appendix B. Perceived Causes of Vineyard Deafness -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index