The Story of My Life

Helen Keller's superb autobiography takes us through the childhood and early life of a woman who was to become one of the United States most celebrated activists and lecturers.

First published in 1903, Keller's early memoirs reveal her upbringing which was very much in the spirit of American tradition. Being both deaf and blind, Keller's astounding rise to a position of great prominence and fame in society gave inspiration to countless individuals suffering from sensory disabilities.

Keller details her childhood and the character of her close family members. Both of her parents receive detailed descriptions; her father, a former Confederate officer, demonstrated to Keller the importance of publicity at an early age by editing the North Alabamian newspaper. Helen's training in sign language enabled her to communicate, and Keller was duly dispatched to a specialist doctor who referred her to the young Anne Sullivan, who became a lifelong friend and mentor to the young Keller.

An uplifting book, The Story of My Life demonstrates that no person need be left behind. Helen Keller's parents are praised in the book for their steely determination to secure their daughter a life to be proud of; through sheer grit and persistence, they aided their daughter to conquer her disabilities and fulfill her intellectual and ideological potential.