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Hellen Keller in Love

3.02 of 5 stars 3.02 · rating details · 318 ratings · 102 reviews

Helen Keller has long been a towering figure in the pantheon of world heroines. Yet the enduring portrait of her in the popular imagination is The Miracle Worker, which ends when Helen is seven years old.Rosie Sultan’s debut novel imagines a part of Keller’s life she rarely spoke of or wrote about: the man she once loved. When Helen is in her thirties and Anne Sullivan is...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published April 26th 2012 by Viking Adult (first published April 1st 2012)

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Jun 01, 2012 willaful rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, special-needs-vision-impaired, special-needs-deaf-hearing-impaired

This powerful, sad story is based on an actual episode from Helen Keller's life, in which she fell in love and planned to marry. Between them, her caregivers thwarted her plans, and her lover disappeared from her life. Narrated by Helen, it's a complex portrait of the ambivalent mix of love, gratitude, resentment and protectiveness she might have felt towards her mother and Annie Sullivan, the most important people in her life before she met Peter Fagan. Even her feelings for Fagan are somewhat...more This powerful, sad story is based on an actual episode from Helen Keller's life, in which she fell in love and planned to marry. Between them, her caregivers thwarted her plans, and her lover disappeared from her life. Narrated by Helen, it's a complex portrait of the ambivalent mix of love, gratitude, resentment and protectiveness she might have felt towards her mother and Annie Sullivan, the most important people in her life before she met Peter Fagan. Even her feelings for Fagan are somewhat ambivalent, as she tries not to listen to the voice in her head that doesn't entirely trust him. Or is that hindsight, because in the end he failed her?

The author faced a challenge here, writing from the perspective of someone who's an extraordinarily intelligent and mature adult, yet inexperienced with men. I'm not sure she entirely pulled it off -- Helen is far more instantly comfortable flirting and getting physical than seems plausible -- but it's a better choice than overdone naivete would have been.

I had a few "hmmm" moments with the story. It's never explained how a secretary was so quickly found who would be able to communicate with Helen fluently. (I'm very curious about whether he in fact was so fluent at fingerspelling into someone's hand; I suspect their communication was considerably less verbal than this book indicates.) And Helen falls in love almost instantly: she's pretty much in love with the idea of Peter before he even appears. Some of the love scenes took me out of the story: Peter is very fond of drawing Helen's hands over her head, which I suppose could have been intended to be symbolic of his lack of understanding about her needs. But then it never seems to interfere with their communication at all.

After starting this audiobook, I was curious about the history behind this story. What I found from googling made me extra appreciative of the author for writing this book. It wasn't bad enough that Keller's family kept her from having a love life, but apparently even the thought of her having had one makes people uncomfortable today. Helen wasn't just a blind and deaf woman who learned to communicate: she was an anti-war activist, a free thinker and a radical. I don't suppose we'll ever know whether she actually had a lover, but I suspect she wouldn't mind at all having her halo slip a little in people's minds.
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May 07, 2012 Shay (Shannon) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

In Rosie Sultan’s debut historical fiction novel she tells a tale of a very brief love affair that Helen Keller kept very private. Although there is little known about the relationship between Helen and Peter Fagan the author imagines a very believable story. This is only a love story on the surface; underneath there’s a disturbing vision of the people close to Helen. Those people demand attention and control making her dependent to the point of helplessness. This becomes clear to her as her rel...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Sandy Pothier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I truly wanted to LOVE this book, but I came away feeling an immense sadness for Helen Keller. She wanted so much to be loved, thought she found it with Peter Fagan. He was a scoundrel(as others have written in their reviews)yet he opened up the desire in Helen that she needed. Because of her vision loss and hearing loss , Helen was totally dependent on others. Annie devoted her entire life to Helen. Without Anne Sullivan, Helen would never had gone to college. I hope Annie got a college degree...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's obvious that Ms. Sultan has done vast amounts of research, and for that I commend her. It's too bad that in reality the love letters between Helen and Peter were burned, because I have a feeling that the real story of their relationship--however deeply it may or may not have gone--was most likely quite different from the one Ms. Sultan has chosen to imagine. Helen Keller may have been a radical and a progressive woman for her time, but she was also a barely-post-Victorian woman who lived an...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I really, really wanted to love this novel. Like many people, I knew some of Helen Keller's story before cracking open Helen Keller in Love, but I wasn't familiar with her entire life. The idea of a secret love intrigued me and I had looked forward to learning more about her life and the love she kept secret, but I unfortunately I really struggled with this novel.

This must have been an incredibly challenging novel to write and kudos to Sultan for tackling it. I couldn’t...more Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I really, really wanted to love this novel. Like many people, I knew some of Helen Keller's story before cracking open Helen Keller in Love, but I wasn't familiar with her entire life. The idea of a secret love intrigued me and I had looked forward to learning more about her life and the love she kept secret, but I unfortunately I really struggled with this novel.

This must have been an incredibly challenging novel to write and kudos to Sultan for tackling it. I couldn’t even fathom writing a novel about Helen Keller’s life and how to portray her disabilities in text. There were great learning points in this story, and I did become more familiar with Helen Keller’s story, but overall I felt I needed more in the end.

There was much description at first through sight, which I found strange. I was expecting more of her other senses, especially earlier on in the novel to really reinforce that she was blind and deaf. But this was done repetitively by her internal dialogue as opposed to showing us exactly how she feels the world. There were some instances of this which I did like, but I had really hoped for more – especially at the beginning of the novel.

There was dialogue going on around her that she seemed to be privy too, but no mention was made of it being translated into her hand so I would get confused. And then she would speak, but not much was mentioned about how she ‘spoke’ and many times I would forget she was blind and deaf because of this as well as the descriptions. In addition, the dialogue of her love interest actually disturbed me at times. It was nothing at all how I envision anyone in 1916 speaking and came across as juvenile. The things he said to her were something I pictured a teenage boy today saying and this completely removed me from the storyline.

Unfortunately their relationship didn't come across as interesting or romantic to me. It started so abruptly. Suddenly she was in love with this man who she met a couple of times, and he her. It didn’t feel natural. There was also nothing endearing about him, so I didn’t care about their relationship and I couldn’t see what she saw in him and as this was the major focus of the novel, I lost interest. The sex scenes were odd to me too, and made me dislike him even more, although maybe that was the point.

I always pictured Helen Keller as a strong woman and was looking forward to a more humanistic glimpse into her life as opposed to the glorification she receives. Unfortunately though, she doesn’t come across as anything near how I envisioned Helen Keller to be. I realize that obviously not everything in her life would have been perfect, but in this portrayal I didn’t see a strong woman at all, just an insecure and whiney woman mooning about over a man. This may have been amplified by the ongoing repetition throughout the novel with her internal dialogue and thankfully some attention was devoted to her humanitarian side and her anti-war cries to deflect from some of this, but the main focus on this novel was her love life so she seemed one dimensional in that aspect.

The prologue made this story anti-climactic because it is actually the ending of the novel and this fact is easily discernible once you’re part way through. This might not have bothered someone that knows Helen Keller story inside and out, but I didn't, and when I realized that I was already told the ending, I almost gave up on the book. I was terribly disappointed that no new information was added beyond that point. I wanted to know what happened to her, how she moved on afterwards.

All in all, I was really disappointed in this one and muddled through to continue. I really wanted to love it, but maybe it just wasn’t for me. There are plenty of reviews out there that enjoyed it though.(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Marialyce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: june-2012

According to the author, there is evidence of a love affair between Helen Keller and Peter Fagan., a helper sent from the Perkins Institute when Annie Sullivan is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Of course everyone knows Helen's story, so tragic and yet so illuminating as to the places a human spirit can and does travel. Also, I would like to hope that Helen did have this chance at love and romance and that for a brief period of time she found it.

Unfortunately, as history tells us, Helen never marri...more According to the author, there is evidence of a love affair between Helen Keller and Peter Fagan., a helper sent from the Perkins Institute when Annie Sullivan is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Of course everyone knows Helen's story, so tragic and yet so illuminating as to the places a human spirit can and does travel. Also, I would like to hope that Helen did have this chance at love and romance and that for a brief period of time she found it.

Unfortunately, as history tells us, Helen never married or had a child that she so desperately wanted. The author reveals to us the turbulent relationship that Helen and Annie had in regards to this. Annie devoted her life to Helen and because of that she seemed to think she owned Helen. True from Helen, these two women supported themselves and were not very frugal, but their livelihood was Helen's speaking engagements and the money that Helen made solely. Coming from an unhappy marriage, Annie herself is sick both physically and emotionally. Helen, who gave generously to various Socialistic causes incurs the wrath of reporters who hounded her and a public that was not so adoring anymore. Therefore the money starts to dwindle and life becomes even harder for Helen and Annie. Very evident in the story was the fact that Helen's life was never her own. She had to depend on others and felt duty bound to be loyal and true to Annie and her mother. Her father, comes off quite poorly in the story as a man who cuts Helen off at a very young age.

Ultimately, all the things Helen fought for, equality for women, the ability to be peaceful, anti war, and individual rights, she never was able to practice what she so sought for others. Sad but true, people with disabilities particularly women were expected never to marry and of course never have sexual feelings. How utterly sad for this paragon of virtue, the "angel" to have gone through life in darkness and lacking the tenderness she might have found with Frank.

While the storyline was definitely intriguing, there was a lot of repetition by the author. She did not at times present a very convincing case for the romance and there was a lot of guessing apparent in the story. I would have preferred it to be a bit smoother as I felt the writing was a bit choppy. However, it was a quick read and did leave one wondering and knowing that Helen certainly was extraordinary in so many ways.(less)

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May 23, 2012 Beatnik Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

Rosie Sultan's debut novel is a fictional imagining of Helen Keller's doomed love affair with Peter Fagan. The love affair itself was real, but Helen Keller never discussed her relationship with Fagan, other than to express regret that she never married, so there was a lot left to the imagination. Still, it's a daunting task to try to write a novel about someone so famous, not to mention someone who died less than 50 years ago. Many of us feel like we know...more

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May 06, 2012 Paul Dinger rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It isn't many books that totally disprove it's own central tenants as effectivly as this book does. When you think of what a problem communication was for Ms Keller, the more stupid this book becomes. This is a ludicrious love story that despite it's biblography couldn't have been well researched. How can the immediate attraction presented here have happened? Since communication for Helen was so difficult could she really have been talking in such zinging punchy dialouge? It is a shame that this...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I learned about Helen Keller in school just like all kids my age. Did I see “The Miracle Worker” you bet I did! I was as awestruck by Anne Sullivan’s teaching methods and Helen’s “AHA” moment as you all were. Did a bit of research on dogs and Helen Keller because we were raising Akitas at the time and she brought the first one to America.
What I had no clue about were the restrictions placed on Helen Keller the person. She was never allowed to go anywhere alone (probably a good idea considering…....more

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Jun 04, 2012 Wendy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. I've been fascinated with Helen Keller since I was a kid and had never heard that she had had a lover...or heard ANY stories beyond her carefully managed public persona. I'm sad to report that this book does not accomplish what it set out to do - present Helen Keller as a real person, with desires and hopes and wishes like any ordinary person would have.

First the good things - the book does a good job of painting a picture of Helen as a constructed public being...more I really wanted to like this book. I've been fascinated with Helen Keller since I was a kid and had never heard that she had had a lover...or heard ANY stories beyond her carefully managed public persona. I'm sad to report that this book does not accomplish what it set out to do - present Helen Keller as a real person, with desires and hopes and wishes like any ordinary person would have.

First the good things - the book does a good job of painting a picture of Helen as a constructed public being, dependent on her caretakers' generosity/obligation for her continued well-being and, indeed, her life. It demonstrates her need to please, to say the right thing, to appear "normal" (even so far as to replace her blinded eyes with attractive blue glass eyes). It paints her life as it probably was - a bird in a gilded cage. She was given money by some famous people, but she was also generous with her own money and, as a result, was living in a poor financial situation. The book also handles dialogue nicely by simply putting the dialogue out there without "she said," "she signed," or the like.

The book falls short on several fronts.

First, there's not much going on. The plot is all about the love affair, but that single-minded focus ultimately takes away from the book - after all, the author does not KNOW Helen's thoughts about the affair (that's the part that the author attempts to recreate in the novel), and yet there are few outside events (historically accurate or not) that could illuminate her feelings or actions towards Peter Fagan.

Second, I found the book to be confusingly inconsistent. We are meant to understand that Helen must say and do what she believes people expect of her or (she fears) she'll be left alone. But there are times when she acts in a manner that DOES anger Annie Sullivan or Kate Keller, and in ways where you would think Helen would avoid in order to not be left on her own. There are numerous parts of the book where Helen professes to feel one way but acts in another. I found it to be a little jarring.

Third, the sex is icky - the stuff of bodice-ripping romance novels. And it happens the same way every time - with Helen's hands held above her head. I found that off-putting as well - it seems to symbolically shut her up since she can only "talk" with her hands.

Fourth, everyone seems one-dimensional. I felt this book could have been longer and would have improved from further character development.

The only bright spot is that the author listed her sources at the conclusion of the novel, so I can check those out to see if they are better.(less)

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May 12, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pleasure-reading, work-review-related-reading

I've been fascinated by Helen Keller my whole life, reading bio after bio after bio about her. While this book is a work of historical fiction, there is a historical base to it--Helen Keller did indeed have a short love affair in the fall of 1916 with Peter Fagan , a failed reporter who was hired to be Keller's assistant when Anne Sullivan became too ill with what was suspected to be tuberculosis. Keller was still relentlessly touring, a proud Socialist and against the war, donating money to bli...more

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May 30, 2012 Mandolin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since acting in the play, "The Miracle Worker," I have long admired Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan for overcoming the barriers of Helen's deaf and blind state through perseverance and determination. I was so excited and a bit apprehensive to see this book hit the shelves. It takes a strong writer to spin a fictionalized account of any historic figure, but especially one that is so revered as Ms. Keller. Though I was a bit saddened by some of her portrayal of the relationships Helen had with Ann...more Since acting in the play, "The Miracle Worker," I have long admired Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan for overcoming the barriers of Helen's deaf and blind state through perseverance and determination. I was so excited and a bit apprehensive to see this book hit the shelves. It takes a strong writer to spin a fictionalized account of any historic figure, but especially one that is so revered as Ms. Keller. Though I was a bit saddened by some of her portrayal of the relationships Helen had with Annie and her mother, I couldn't help but feel that the author's rendering probably hit very close to the truth. I was also surprised by much of what I learned about Helen herself, including her leftist political views, pacifist stance, nearly impoverished state and relentless efforts to help those less "fortunate" than her including Southern negroes and German soldiers. What a powerhouse she was! Realizing these aspects of her personality made it even easier to accept the belief that she engaged in a passionate, if brief, love affair. How could a woman strong enough to stand up and denounce presidents do anything else but fight for her own right to love a man? And who more natural for her to fall in love with than Peter Fagan, a young reporter hired to fill Annie's place when she was stricken by tuberculosis? Thrown together in intimate settings and sharing similar views, Helen must have easily fallen under his spell. *Spoiler* It grieves me to know, though, that her family's insistence on her single state and need to depend on them alone won out in the end. *End spoiler* Aspects of the novel, including some passages where it almost seems as though Helen was not as physically limited as she was, were a bit unnerving but did not detract from the story. What did make it less than wonderful for me was knowing beforehand what was going to happen. I felt disappointed from the beginning and constantly looked for clues in Peter's behavior and motives. However, I still enjoyed the book and the chance to see Helen in a completely different light. And the overall theme of the book is one that will resonate with me for a while to come: "There are many ways to be blind." How very true.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's risky for an author to center a story around a well-known historical figure, let alone one who is deaf and blind. In this book, the author reaches beyond the "Miracle Worker" story associated with Keller to imagine her life as an adult woman falling in love for the first time. The story is well-researched, and is told in Helen's strong, smart, stubborn voice. Without question, Keller was a remarkable woman, and through Annie Sullivan she was given a voice. Certainly, too, her physical handi...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Kristi Barr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. I love the premise, that the Helen Keller we know is just the surface of a much deeper personality. I always suspected there was more to her than the prodigy, the do-gooder, the political activist, the travelling show. This book gives a glimpse of Helen the woman, eager for passion, rebellious against the constraints in her life, wanting a man, a family. Unfortunatly the man she chooses just isn't worthy of her. Tragic yes - but also not explained fully enough...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In her debut novel, Sultan tackles the story of Helen Keller's brief love affair with Peter Fagan. Not much is known about Keller and Fagan's relationship other than it did happen in 1916, as Keller kept it extremely private and the letters between them were burnt. Even though I have not read very much about Helen Keller, I felt that Sultan constructs a very believable story about the two lovers and I found this novel very well written. The novel left me with a feeling of profound sadness that K...more

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Jun 09, 2012 iamjenai rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a novel based on Helen Keller's life. Though based on true story, the author wove a tale about Ms. Keller's life with the man she once loved, Peter Fagan.

It's been a while since the last time I read something based on a true story. I knew Ms. Keller's life story but nothing about her man, Peter Fagan. I never knew she never married or maybe that part was intentionally omitted in history for the reason stated in the book. Based on what I understand in the story, her teacher and her mother...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Ann Woodbury Moore rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Our vision of Helen Keller, American icon and world heroine, tends to focus on her childhood—we picture the feisty blind/deaf girl from The Miracle Worker. But she experienced an eventful, unusual, and very long life (she died in 1968 at the age of 87). This book, based on fact, explores Keller’s 1916 love affair with a young male secretary. “I am a human being, with a human being’s frailties and inconsistencies,” Keller declared. And Sultan does an incredible job in bringing Keller alive as a r...more

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May 04, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-giveaway-winnter, historical-fiction

“Helen Keller in Love” by Rosie Sultan is a story about Helen Keller when she was 36 years old and her love affair with her secretary, Peter Fagan. It is told through the voice of Helen Keller. The target audience for this book is young adults/adults.

Reading the synopsis of this book really intrigued me. Helen Keller really was an amazing woman who overcame incredible obstacles and her story deserves to be told. Usually we are only told the story of the childhood of Helen Keller, but this book t...more “Helen Keller in Love” by Rosie Sultan is a story about Helen Keller when she was 36 years old and her love affair with her secretary, Peter Fagan. It is told through the voice of Helen Keller. The target audience for this book is young adults/adults.

Reading the synopsis of this book really intrigued me. Helen Keller really was an amazing woman who overcame incredible obstacles and her story deserves to be told. Usually we are only told the story of the childhood of Helen Keller, but this book takes us directly into her adult life.

Helen’s companion, since the time she was 7 years old, was Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan continued to be Helen’s main companion and interpreter until her death, I believe. This story illustrates that Anne was a bit controlling and she completely tried to dissuade Helen from ever pursuing a romantic relationship. Helen’s mother had the same agenda also. When Anne is diagnosed with tuberculosis, she is forced to bring in another person to be Helen’s secretary until she can get better. Thus, in comes Peter Fagan. Helen is immediately drawn to Peter Fagan. I don’t see why she was unless it was because he was the first non-related male she came into close contact with and the thrill of that made Helen pursue him. Peter immediately takes to Helen and they begin a secret romance.

Although this book was told with Helen as the narrator, I sometimes forgot that she was deaf or blind. How did she know of conversations that didn’t include her? Sometimes the author would allude to sounds such as “…crossed the room in a sslap-sslap-sslap of her bare feet.” I guess it could mean what the vibrations felt like, but to me it came across more as what it sounded like rather than felt like. But this is just a minor issue. Helen Keller must have been very lonely and really wanted to have independence, which would be impossible since she had to rely on someone for everything such as picking out her clothes or telling her what was going on in the world. This book highlights her loneliness and her dependence on Anne Sullivan. The relationship with Peter seemed rushed and a little unrealistic, but perhaps that was the way it really was.

We never think about what Helen’s life was like after childhood and this book was an interesting peek into her adult life. There were some minor issues with the story that I didn’t like, but overall it was a good read and I learned some really interesting things about Helen and Anne and what life must have been like for both of them… they both depended on and needed each other. Was this detrimental or instrumental to their relationship? That is up to the reader to decide.
**This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads. That in no way influenced my review.**
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Feb 11, 2013 Tkjtwmr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys historical fiction and knows a bit about Helen Keller

Recommended to Tkjtwmr by: "new" section of TDPL

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was about one of my favourite people (Helen Keller) and historical fiction to boot!! Great combination. It is an easy read about a few months in Helen's life when she is involved with a man (at age 37 no less) and tells about her feelings and the contradicting feelings/advice she has/gets from Anne Sullivan and her family. It is such a foreign experience for most--not only is she "property" of her family but she is trapped in a dark and soundless world wher...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Lissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While fairly well-written, Helen Keller in Love left me feeling uncomfortable at times and distracted by historical inaccuracies at others. Based on a true story, it follows Miss Keller's affair with her secretary Peter. It took away the innocence and purity Miss Keller always seemed to portray, and it seemed more like I was reading about a child having an affair with an adult. Historical inaccuracies, such as a combustion engine lawn mower in 1916, pulled me away from the story. All were things...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Cara Lopez Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was refreshing to discover another side of Helen Keller, whom I'd read of when I was a girl. I appreciated the opportunity to relate to her as a flesh-and-blood woman rather than an angelic, heroic icon. It's sad that her family smothered her with love to the point of not letting her have a complete life. This called to mind the way all of our families of origin sometimes treat us as children long after we've grown. The difference is, most of us have some means of escape. Keller depended on o...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-me

I don't think I have read a biography on Helen Keller since I was in elementary school. While this book is obviously fiction, with real facts to substantiate the main character, I found this book to humanize a figure in our history that still remains a mystery to so many. While uncomfortable with a few scenes in this book, it held my interest and made me wonder how this relationship would dissolve as the author makes clear in the beginning of the book. You cannot help but feel compassion for Hel...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Alena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

Oh my god!! This book was incredible! Beautifully crafted and blended with "starcrossed lovers" flavou to it. i cried, i admit it. Poor Helen! to be abandonned without any means of an explanation for her broken heart. She sacrificed SO much to be with Peter and in the end she got her heart broken. I would really love to know what kept him from coming that night, as well as what prevented him from never contacting her again. I knew what was coming but after spending all weekend shut up in my room...more

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May 18, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read a few of Helen Keller's books, watched The Miracle Worker, and I have worked with blind preschool children. I don't know what parts of this book are true. The authur does use parts of Helen's life, that are found in her books. I enjoyed the parts the authur uses to discribe things the way Helen can feel them. Helen could feel the vibrations of footsteps, smell the scents of various people, tell where she was by the smells around her.

My first introduction to Helen Keller, was in a mo...more

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May 02, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, historical-fiction

In this book, the author takes the historical facts of a relationship between Helen Keller and her secretary Peter Fagan, and weaves it with her own imagined details. As a "love story" it was ok, I guess. I didn't really care for the Peter character, and I felt like the story was pretty jumpy and strange.
What I did enjoy was how the book makes you appreciate Helen as a complex person, a real person - not just this icon or spokesperson. The descriptions of how she perceived the physical world ar...more

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May 18, 2012 Dandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, first-reads

First Reads Giveaway Win

This historical fiction was a nice peak into a part of Helen Keller's life that isn't often talked about. It takes a look at her love affair with Peter Fagan, a story of what might have been pieced together with so many tiny snippets of history. The story goes back and forth between that time of their relationship and Helen recounting memories from earlier in her life.

I felt it moved slowly in parts but I enjoyed the story. The ending was strong although the story didn't...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Holly Weiss rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fictionistas, to-review, kindle

Helen Keller the miracle or Helen Keller the Human Being?

Article first published as Book Review: Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan on Blogcritics

What happened to Helen Keller after The Miracle Worker? History records her graduating from college in 1904 and helping to found the ACLU in 1920. A devoted humanitarian, Helen constantly worked on behalf of those with disabilities. She learned several means of communication: lip touching, finger spelling, Braille, speech, typing. The historical rec...more Helen Keller the miracle or Helen Keller the Human Being?

Article first published as Book Review: Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan on Blogcritics

What happened to Helen Keller after The Miracle Worker? History records her graduating from college in 1904 and helping to found the ACLU in 1920. A devoted humanitarian, Helen constantly worked on behalf of those with disabilities. She learned several means of communication: lip touching, finger spelling, Braille, speech, typing. The historical record reveals her public life and impact on society. What happened in her personal life?

In Helen Keller in Love we learn that when Helen was ten, her father died, leaving no provision to support her or pay Annie Sullivan’s salary. (view spoiler)

While on a speaking tour with Helen, Annie is stricken with tuberculosis. Peter, hired to be Helen’s secretary, soon finds himself translating conversations, letters and newspapers for. Much to his delight, she becomes brazen and forward.

Written in Helen’s impassioned, stubborn first person voice, the book describes her love affair with this man with many reasons to exploit her. The premise is both provocative and human. Why wouldn’t a woman deprived of so much have emotional and sexual yearnings? “At age thirty-seven she says, “I was tired of being perfect Helen Keller…I wanted to break free.”

The book will surely prompt controversy. Some reviews criticize the book for placing a stain on Helen Keller’s reputation. How difficult to take a slice of a high-profile person’s life and turn it into a novel. I give Rosie Sultan credit. She opened herself up for scrutiny and criticism. To all of the “this could never have happened” critics, remember that this is a work of fiction based on an extraordinary real person. The extensive research done for the book substantiates that Helen Keller and Peter Fagan did have a love affair.

The story lost its impact for this reader by telling the outcome of the love affair within the first few pages. The reader is constantly on edge wondering what unseemly things Peter is up to. Although Helen’s voice is credibly written, the threads of Helen Keller in Love don’t weave together to make an entirely plausible read.

Netgalley graciously provided the review copy.
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Mar 29, 2012 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

Well where do I begin? What started out as a promising, endearing love story of a girl that went against all odds. But after the first 100 pages, it dragged out for me making it very painful to finish. Even though Helen was blind and deaf, with the help of Annie, Helen learned how to communicate and became a fascinating young woman.

However, when Annie becomes sick, Peter is hired to be Helen's secretary. Helen is taken with Peter and falls in love with him. When he asks her to marry him, they k...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Nicki Green rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't read this book. It's not worth it. Helen Keller was awesome and i believe the message that the disabled have normal sexual urges and the right to have them is absolutely true. But this book is not well written. Time makes no sense. All of a sudden, months will have gone by when you thought you were still in the same day. I was continually confused. The sex scenes are so awkward I was embarrassed to read them (because of the wording, not because it was Helen Keller). The romance of Helen an...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Helen Keller was a very remarkable woman, and this book doesn't detract anything at all from her character. She was a champion of women's rights and an outspoken activist against war. I just wish that this book had focused a little more on these aspects of her life.

I really didn't want to read intimate details of her secret love, although it was a sad thing that she wasn't allowed more privacy to pursue this relationship. The best thing about this book is that I would like to read further about...more

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“I sat taller, to suppress my impatience. It was infuriating, this waiting. I was thirty-seven years old. And like a child, an infant, really, I was at the mercy of others. Hour after hour of my life was spent waiting.” — 4 people liked it

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