Just about every child growing up in Alabama learns that
Helen Keller is also a native of the state, but most of us aren’t told much
else about her aside from the challenges she faced due to being both blind and
deaf.
Several years ago, while reading “The Writer’s Almanac” Web
site, I first heard about an autobiography that Keller wrote while attending
college. The book, called “The Story of My Life,” came out in 1902 when Keller
was just 22 years old. I finished reading this book the other day, and I’d rank
it right up there with some of the best books I’ve ever read.
Most people familiar with Keller know that she was born in
Tuscumbia, Ala. in 1880. Due to an illness, she became blind and deaf at the
age of 19 months. In 1887, teacher Anne Sullivan came to live with the Kellers
and began to instruct young Helen. Sullivan, who is often called “The Miracle
Worker,” educated Keller so well that Keller eventually entered Radcliffe College at the
age of 19. Keller published “The Story of My Life” during her time in college,
prior to her graduation in 1904.
As you might have imagined, “The Story of My Life” revealed
a lot of details about Keller’s life, and I was struck by the awesome feat that
she and Sullivan accomplished together. Sullivan must have been a saint, and wherever
she’s at right now, she more than earned a special place in heaven. Using a
special set of sign language, she literally had to spell out everything into
Keller’s palm… for years and years.
The book also let on as to just how lucky Keller was despite
her awful handicaps. Born into a well off family (her father owned a
newspaper), her parents made her education a priority and were able to pay for
the finest teacher available at the time. In the late 1800s, there were
hundreds, if not thousands, of deaf-blind children in the world and most
received no education whatsoever.
The book also describes Keller’s relationships with many
famous people, including Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, John Greenleaf
Whittier and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The book also shows that Keller was a huge booklover and a voracious reader. Keller absorbed books at a high rate and would have
been considered an extremely well-read person even if she hadn’t been blind.
The edition of the book that I read was a 222-page Signet
Classic paperback edition that was published in 1988. With an introduction by
Lou Ann Walker, this edition also contained a summary of the Braille alphabet,
the sign language alphabet and a sample of Keller’s handwriting. I purchased my
copy of the book from the Ol’ Curiosities & Book Shoppe in downtown
Monroeville. I think I paid a dollar
for this used edition, and it was well worth the price.
In the end, how many of you have read Helen Keller’s “The
Story of My Life”? What did you think about it? Let us know in the comments
section below.
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