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The Story of My Life

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 33,744 ratings · 693 reviews

Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were...more Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often relegated to the background, spoken of only in hushed tones, is remarkable. But Keller's many other achievements are impressive by any standard: she authored 13 books, wrote countless articles, and devoted her life to social reform. An active and effective suffragist, pacifist, and socialist (the latter association earned her an FBI file), she lectured on behalf of disabled people everywhere. She also helped start several foundations that continue to improve the lives of the deaf and blind around the world.

As a young girl Keller was obstinate, prone to fits of violence, and seething with rage at her inability to express herself. But at the age of 7 this wild child was transformed when, at the urging of Alexander Graham Bell, Anne Sullivan became her teacher, an event she declares "the most important day I remember in all my life." (Sullivan herself had once been blind, but partially recovered her sight after a series of operations.) In a memorable passage, Keller writes of the day "Teacher" led her to a stream and repeatedly spelled out the letters w-a-t-e-r on one of her hands while pouring water over the other. This method proved a revelation: "That living world awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away." And, indeed, most of them were.

In her lovingly crafted and deeply perceptive autobiography, Keller's joyous spirit is most vividly expressed in her connection to nature:

Indeed, everything that could hum, or buzz, or sing, or bloom, had a part in my education.... Few know what joy it is to feel the roses pressing softly into the hand, or the beautiful motion of the lilies as they sway in the morning breeze. Sometimes I caught an insect in the flower I was plucking, and I felt the faint noise of a pair of wings rubbed together in a sudden terror....

The idea of feeling rather than hearing a sound, or of admiring a flower's motion rather than its color, evokes a strong visceral sensation in the reader, giving The Story of My Life a subtle power and beauty. Keller's celebration of discovery becomes our own. In the end, this blind and deaf woman succeeds in sharpening our eyes and ears to the beauty of the world. --Shawn Carkonen

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Hardcover, 256 pages

Published 1994 by Tess Press (first published 1902)

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Mar 26, 2009 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir

I have always held Helen Keller in high regard. How can you not, really? She is a remarkable woman. I did a report on her in grade school, and though I forgot many facts of her life over the years, what I learned of her perseverance and strength of spirit left a lasting impression on me.

Helen Keller's spirit certainly shines in this short but beautifully written memoir, which Helen wrote when she was just 22 (and, worth noting, attending Radcliffe College).

I think most know that Helen lost her s...more I have always held Helen Keller in high regard. How can you not, really? She is a remarkable woman. I did a report on her in grade school, and though I forgot many facts of her life over the years, what I learned of her perseverance and strength of spirit left a lasting impression on me.

Helen Keller's spirit certainly shines in this short but beautifully written memoir, which Helen wrote when she was just 22 (and, worth noting, attending Radcliffe College).

I think most know that Helen lost her sight and hearing at a very young age (she was not yet 2) after suffering a mysterious illness her doctors did not think she would survive. It was not until several years later (almost 7) that her beloved teacher, Miss Sullivan, would arrive and introduce her to the world of language, and thus the world at large.

I found it fascinating to learn of Helen's memories of those many years after she first became blind and deaf, and before she learned language. How does one makes sense of a world she cannot see or hear before she even has words to conceptualize it? It was amazing to me that she was able to understand so much about her surroundings at such a young age, and essentially only through touch, smell and vibration.

I was also fascinated to learn how Miss Sullivan was able to so patiently and thoroughly introduce Helen to all the many complexities of language (and even abstract thoughts such as love) to a child who, up to that point, had no real idea such things existed. Even more remarkable is that Helen not only fully mastered English, but French, German and Latin as well.

Helen's love of language is clearly displayed in her rich, descriptive writing. One reviewer called it "too flowery," but I thought her words to be often poetic.

Perhaps what I found most remarkable was Helen's incredible sense of awe and wonder for the world -- at times her joy for life seemed to exude from the pages. Though she admits moments of extreme isolation and sadness, she writes, "Is it not true then, that my life, with all its limitations, touches at many points the light of the world beautiful? Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content."

And later, "I try to make the light in others’ eyes my sun, the music in others’ ears my symphony, the smile on others’ lips my happiness."

This is ultimately a story of her life (as it is appropriately titled), so those looking purely for a book on what it is like to be deaf and blind may be disappointed. But after all, that is truly Helen's legacy -- that she led such a rich life despite being blind and deaf.(less)

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Jul 24, 2007 Caitlin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an interesting book in that it exactly fails to answer the question that you wish it would answer: what is it like to be both blind and deaf?

Of course her education was marvelous and it is amazing that a young woman with those disabilities was able to overcome them and become a productive member of society. However, I found that the book focused much more on "how I became normal" instead of on "how my life is different."

I found the prose to be a bit flowery (perhaps a product of the er...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

A lovely, quotable book, similar to the writing of L.M. Montgomery...which is also what bothers me about it.

When I first read this, years and years ago, I was impressed by all the poetic imagery. And it is impressive that she was so well versed in the language of sight and sound. But reading the book now? All those bells, and crickets, and clouded, blue skies...just make me sad. She wasn't meeting us halfway. She was meeting us all the way.

She touches on the problem, herself:
At that time I eager...more A lovely, quotable book, similar to the writing of L.M. Montgomery...which is also what bothers me about it.

When I first read this, years and years ago, I was impressed by all the poetic imagery. And it is impressive that she was so well versed in the language of sight and sound. But reading the book now? All those bells, and crickets, and clouded, blue skies...just make me sad. She wasn't meeting us halfway. She was meeting us all the way.

She touches on the problem, herself:
At that time I eagerly absorbed everything I read without a thought of authorship, and even now I cannot be quite sure of the boundary line between my ideas and those I find in books. I suppose that is because so many of my impressions come to me through the medium of others' eyes and ears.

But more than that, she had merged with her caretakers. The "story of [her] life" is essentially the story she'd been told: Helen, the burdensome invalid; Helen, the grateful student; Helen, under the bright, blue sky.

This passage details her family's reaction upon hearing her speak for the first time:
My eyes fill with tears now as I think of how my mother pressed me close to her, speechless and trembling with delight, taking in every syllable that I spoke, while little Mildred seized my free hand and kissed it and danced, and my father expressed his pride and affection in a big silence.

The implications are heartbreaking. And, in fact, learning to utter a single phrase required hours on end of grueling repitition. Pleasing her family (often) seemed to be her only motivation.

She could never truly express what she, alone, knew for the simple reason that there was no language for what she knew. She had no culture of her own. And so, ultimately, she had no voice.

[Miss Sullivan] put the crab in a trough near the well where I was confident he would be secure. But next morning I went to the trough, and lo, he had disappeared! Nobody knew where he had gone, or how he had escaped. My disappointment was bitter at the time; but little by little I came to realize it was not kind or wise to force the poor dumb creature out of his element, and after a while I felt happy at the thought that maybe he had returned to the sea.(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Lona added it · review of another edition

هذا الكتاب يصف كيف ممكن أن يُحدث دخول شخص في حياة شخص أخر من تأثير كان أشبه بدخول الضوء لدهاليز الروح و إنقاذها من سجنها وإطلاق سراحها لتحيى حياتها .. .. اقتباس:-
"وشيئاً فشيئاً اكتسبت التعود على الظلام والسكون اللذين شملاني ونسيت كلية أن الأمر كان مختلفاً تماماً في الماضي، وظل الحال كذلك حتى جاءت معلمتي التي حررت روحي أطلقتها من سجنها"

هذا الكتاب دفعني بالتفكير هل مرَّ علي ذلك النوع من المعلمين الذين تركوا بصمة في حياتي؟ ذلك النوع الذي ينطبق عليهم قول الشاعر أحمد شوقي :-
قم للمعلم وفِّه التبجيلا...more هذا الكتاب يصف كيف ممكن أن يُحدث دخول شخص في حياة شخص أخر من تأثير كان أشبه بدخول الضوء لدهاليز الروح و إنقاذها من سجنها وإطلاق سراحها لتحيى حياتها .. .. اقتباس:-
"وشيئاً فشيئاً اكتسبت التعود على الظلام والسكون اللذين شملاني ونسيت كلية أن الأمر كان مختلفاً تماماً في الماضي، وظل الحال كذلك حتى جاءت معلمتي التي حررت روحي أطلقتها من سجنها"

هذا الكتاب دفعني بالتفكير هل مرَّ علي ذلك النوع من المعلمين الذين تركوا بصمة في حياتي؟ ذلك النوع الذي ينطبق عليهم قول الشاعر أحمد شوقي :-
قم للمعلم وفِّه التبجيلا .. ... .. كاد المعلم أن يكون رسول
معلمة هيلين "آن سوليفان" ينطبق عليها هذا القول وأكثر، فجهودها لا تصدق في محاولتها مساعدة تلميذتها للوقوف على قدميها وتذوق الحياة

هيلين كيلر تروي في هذا الكتاب سيرة معاناتها مع إعاقتها والتغلب عيها والعبقرية في هذا الكتاب أني لم أشعر أن التي كتبته إنسانة لا ترى، ولا تسمع وفي فتره من حياتها لا تتكلم أيضاً، لم أشعر أبداً أني أقرأ عن إنسانه تفتقد إحدى حواسها وعندما بحث عن صورتها وجدت أنها فعلا إنسانه طبيعية تماماً وعيناها لا توحي أبداً أنها لا ترى

صلة وصلها بالحياة هي "يديها" فهي ترى بيديها وأيضاً تشعر، فبيديها يتحول محيطها إلى صوت وصورة و مشاعر، وينطبع كل ما تلمسه في ذاكرتها التي أطلقت عليها اسم الذاكرة اللمسية كمشهد حي بأبعاده

و شدني كثيراً معرفتها للعديد من الكتَّاب والعلماء وأهم ما لفت انتباهي صداقتها ب"ألكسندر جراهم بيل" وهذه صورة تجمعها به:-

عندما أنهيت الكتاب وهممت في تقيمه، شعرت حرفياً بالخجل الشديد .. .. من أنا لأقيم مستوى كتابة شخصية لا ترى ولا تسمع وللعلم فإنها تتقن اللغة الألمانية، اللاتينية والفرنسية بالإضافة للغتها الأم الإنجليزية ونجحت في التخرج من جامعة راد كليف مع مرتبة الشرف .. .. والأهم من ذلك لم أشعر أبداً أن التي كتبت الكتاب تعاني من أي مشكلة فوصفها لكل شيء وصف شخص طبيعي تذوق الحياة .. .. لم أشعر أنها إنسانة ينقصها شيء بل شعرت أني المعاقة وقزمة في حضرتها .. .. ببساطة الكتاب غير قابل للتقييم ولا يحتاج تقييمي أصلاً
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Nov 02, 2008 Adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was purely inspirational to me. Helen Keller has some great insights on life that we can all learn from. One of my favorite quotes from her book in Helen's own words: “Is it not true, then, that my life with all its limitations touches at many points the life of the World Beautiful? Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

“Sometimes it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I sit alone a...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Bubbles Hunty rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

That's right Laura I read this fictional story.

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May 15, 2011 Sarah AlFozan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

إنني أتذكر ذلك الصباح الذي سألت فيه لأول مرة عن معنى كلمة (حب ) ، وكان ذلك قبل أن أتعلم الكثير من الكلمات ، دعوني أحكي لكم هذه الواقعة ، فقد وجدت بعض أزهار الربيع المبكرة الظهور في الحديقة ، فاحضرتها إلى معلمتي ، فحاولت بدورها أن تقبلني كنوع من التعبير عن الأمتنان ، لكن في ذلك الوقت لم أكن أرغب في أن يقبلني أحد فيما عدا أمي ، فأحاطتني الآنسة سولفان بذراعها برقة ولطف وتهجت على أصابعي الكلمات التالية : ” أحبك يا هيلين ” ، فسألتها : ” ماهو الحب ؟ ” ، فجذبتني لتقربني إليها أكثر وقالت : ” إنه هنا ،...more
إنني أتذكر ذلك الصباح الذي سألت فيه لأول مرة عن معنى كلمة (حب ) ، وكان ذلك قبل أن أتعلم الكثير من الكلمات ، دعوني أحكي لكم هذه الواقعة ، فقد وجدت بعض أزهار الربيع المبكرة الظهور في الحديقة ، فاحضرتها إلى معلمتي ، فحاولت بدورها أن تقبلني كنوع من التعبير عن الأمتنان ، لكن في ذلك الوقت لم أكن أرغب في أن يقبلني أحد فيما عدا أمي ، فأحاطتني الآنسة سولفان بذراعها برقة ولطف وتهجت على أصابعي الكلمات التالية : ” أحبك يا هيلين ” ، فسألتها : ” ماهو الحب ؟ ” ، فجذبتني لتقربني إليها أكثر وقالت : ” إنه هنا ، وأشارت إلى قلبي ” . حيرتني كلماتها الغامضة كثيرًا لأنني في ذلك الوقت لم أكن أعرف أي شيء مالم يكن باستطاعتي أن ألمسه ! ورحت أتشمم الأزهار في يدها وأسالها تارة بالكلمات وتارة بالإيماءات سؤالًا معناه : هل الحب هو الرائحة الجميلة للأزهار ؟ فقالت معلمتي : كلا . الحب شيء مثل السحب التي كانت في السماء قبل أن تسطُع الشمس ، ثم راحت تشرح لي قائلة : ” إنك يا هيلين لن تستطيعي أن تلمسي السحب وأنت تدركين ذلك لكنك تشعرين بالمطر وتعرفين كم تكون الأزهار والأرض العطشى سعيدة حين يصل إليها ماؤه بعد يومٍ حار ، وأنتِ لا يمكنك كذلك أن تلمسي الحب لكنك تعرفين المشاعر الحلوة التي يبثها في كل شيء ، فبدون المشاعر الطيبة لن تكوني سعيدة أو تكون لكِ رغبة في اللعب . (less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Hamida rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013

من ظلام دامس و صمت مطبق و عزلة تامة عن ما يحيط حولها إلى روح قوية ذات إرادة جبّارة و يقين جميل .. كأنها ارتد إليها بصرها و سمعها ..
آن سولفان المعلمة المذهلة أوقدت شمعة دافئة في عمق بئر هيلين الحالك لتتفتح بصيرتها إلى ما حولها و تنطلق هيلين تجوب العالم كأنها تراه و كان لها الأثر الأكبر في تغيير حياتها من مجرد فتاة تعيش في سواد حالك إلى روح متألقة لها دورها البارز في الحياة ، و كذلك قوة إرادتها بالرغم مصابها ، وولعها الكبير للتعلّم منذ أن أدركت أن للأشياء التي تتحسسها بيديها مسميات و أن هناك عالم...more من ظلام دامس و صمت مطبق و عزلة تامة عن ما يحيط حولها إلى روح قوية ذات إرادة جبّارة و يقين جميل .. كأنها ارتد إليها بصرها و سمعها ..
آن سولفان المعلمة المذهلة أوقدت شمعة دافئة في عمق بئر هيلين الحالك لتتفتح بصيرتها إلى ما حولها و تنطلق هيلين تجوب العالم كأنها تراه و كان لها الأثر الأكبر في تغيير حياتها من مجرد فتاة تعيش في سواد حالك إلى روح متألقة لها دورها البارز في الحياة ، و كذلك قوة إرادتها بالرغم مصابها ، وولعها الكبير للتعلّم منذ أن أدركت أن للأشياء التي تتحسسها بيديها مسميات و أن هناك عالم تستطيع أن تتواصل معه ..

"إن لكل شئ جماله حتى الظلام والصمت ،فقد تعلمت أن أكون راضية وسعيدة في أي ظرف يمر بي ،أن قلبي مازال عامرا بالعواطف الحارة لكل إنسان ولساني لن ينطق بكلمات مريرة أبدا ، أن هناك سعادة في نسيان الذات ، لذلك تشاهدونني أحاول أن أجعل الابتسامة في عيون الآخرين هوايتي."

هلين لم تستسلم للإعاقة بل استطاعت أن تتعايش معها و تبرز جمال ما هي قادرة عليه

سعادتني بما وهبني الله أياه يجعلني لا أجد الوقت لأحزن على ما أخذه مني " ..
"عندما يُغلق باب السعادة، يُفتح آخر ، ولكن في كثير من الأحيان ننظر طويلا إلى الأبواب المغلقة بحيث لا نرى الأبواب التي فُتحت لنا"

شعرت و أنا أقرأ قصتها كأنني أسمعها منها و هي تتحدث بكل حب و راحة عن طموحاتها و أهدافها و هوايتها كصديقة مقربة ،، روحها المحببة الجميلة تمنح الدفء لمن حولها و تسير في دربها بنوع من الراحة و السلام الداخلي يحجب عنها أي أسى و يجعلها تسمو و تسمو
في الليالي المقمرة تطفو بقاربها على النهر و تتحسس بروحها نور القمر ينعكس على صفحة الماء متاميلا مع تموجاته
.....

لم يخلقنا الله سبحانه و تعالى عبثاً في هذه الدنيا ، فالطريق أمامنا مفتوحة للإبداع و العلم و التميز و العطاء.. و بإمكانا مواجهة أي معوقات تصد طريقنا ...إذا أردنا ذلك ، نستطيع !

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Feb 24, 2008 Wellington rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mark Twain once said that the two most fascinating people of the 19th century were Napoleon and Helen Keller. I've yet to read anything on Napoleon but I can feel the fascination with Helen.

This edition was in three parts. The first is a series of installments originally written for the Ladies Home Journal in 1902. Serial installments just don't strike me really well. Or it could just be that Helen Keller does not give herself credit to the person she became. Later I realized that it's the words...more

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Jul 13, 2007 Russ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography, biography, 2007, nonfiction

My copy of this book is an Andor Classic paperback. It's quite old and nearly falling apart. I bought it at a used book sale, as I buy many of my books.

I thought it was quite interesting. It's not very long, so it reads very fast. Helen had that very formal writing style that you see in the early 20th century and before. I wonder if people really spoke like that, or if such language was reserved just for writing.

In the book, Helen tells the story of her life up until her college years. The most...more

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Nov 26, 2008 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's part of human nature to ocassionally feel sorry for yourself. "Why do I have to have it so hard?" "Why did this have to happen to me?"

But it's hard to feel sorry for yourself when reading Keller's remarkable story. To paraphrase Faulkner, she didn't just survive, she prevailed!

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May 13, 2008 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Heather by: Kathleen

I had always admired Helen Keller, and everyone knows about her and hears her quoted, but it was amazing to read her own account of how she acquired language and see how adept she became at using it. Her insights about education and descriptions of nature and friendship are universally appealing and made me appreciate just how remarkable both she and Anne Sullivan were. In addition to that, she has a beautiful soul that is full of gratitude and optimism, which is not common among those that know...more

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Apr 25, 2009 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, read-in-2009

This autobiography is a mostly interesting account of Helen Keller's early life and education, written while she was attending college at Radcliffe College. Portions of this book were a tad boring as Ms. Keller cataloged the books and authors she read and the people she met.

Truly, she accomplished more than most human beings in her lifetime, and this despite the obvious obstacles she faced.

The book leaves quite a few questions unanswered for me, though. I'll look for a biography that covers some...more

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Nov 01, 2007 Ginny Messina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kidlit

This is Helen Keller's own story, written while she was in college, and it is fascinating to see how she viewed her childhood both before and after Anne Sullivan came to teach her. The edition I read also included her letters, beginning with the first ones and it was interesting to see the quick and dramatic progress in her use of language. A section written by Anne Sullivan about how she taught Helen gave further insight to the "miracle" of Helen's education. I know I read this autobiography as...more

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Mar 25, 2008 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended by Rochelle. Thanks!
This was great. How can you not hep but feel uplifted by the power of the human spirit after reading about Helen Keller's life. I love how she describes her love of nature and how she can feel the moon on her face in the evenings. The only disappointment was she wrote this before she started college so you really don't get the story of her whole life. The second half of the book is the letters she wrote to various people showing the development of her language and...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Glamorous rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

تحدثت هيلين كيلر في هذا الكتاب عن اعاقتها المزدوجة والنور الذي اطلّ عليها (معلمتها آن سوليفان)
بالنسبة لفتاة فقدت سمعها وبصرها فهي تحسن وصف الحياة كما لم ارها وأشعر بها !

علمني هذا الكتاب انه مهما انقطعت بنا السبل ، نستطيع ان نشارك ، نعيش ، ونتواصل
ومهما فقدنا ، لن نفقد الحياة نفسها

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Feb 02, 2013 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies, non-fiction

Helen Keller’s story is amazing to be sure but what is even more amazing is that she had such a fantastic support network, starting with her Mom and Dad. The real reason Helen become such a miracle from God comes from the complete devotion of her teacher and mentor Anne Sullivan. From the time she was 6 years until Helen graduated from college Sullivan was by her side at every level of her education.

So after listening to this book I fully understand that Sullivan really was a “Miracle Worker.” T...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Abner Huertas added it

Siempre he considerado que hay libros que cambian tu vida, tu forma de pensar y ver las cosas. "La historia de mi vida" es uno de ellos en mi vida.

Hellen Keller, una mujer que antes de los dos años de edad sufrió una enfermedad que la dejó sordociega. La historia de su niñez, las dificultades por las que pasó son impactantes y te hacen ver lo bendecido que eres al tener todos tus sentidos.

Su éxito no fue solo, contó con la ayuda de una mujer que se volvió su amiga, Ann Sullivan. Gracias a la ayu...more

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May 03, 2013 Jazmine Taylor added it · review of another edition

Summary
The ability to see and hear may be considered a normal day-to-day thing, but for some it’s a different story. “The Story of my Life” is just that, the story of Helen Keller’s life.
The book explains the life of a woman born in June of 1880, in northern Alabama and the struggles she has acquired since two years of age. Helen was nineteen months old when she became deathly ill with what her doctor called “acute congestion of the stomach and brain”. The doctors thought Helen wouldn’t be...more Summary
The ability to see and hear may be considered a normal day-to-day thing, but for some it’s a different story. “The Story of my Life” is just that, the story of Helen Keller’s life.
The book explains the life of a woman born in June of 1880, in northern Alabama and the struggles she has acquired since two years of age. Helen was nineteen months old when she became deathly ill with what her doctor called “acute congestion of the stomach and brain”. The doctors thought Helen wouldn’t be able to live and showed very little to no hope of Helens recovery. Helen stayed strong and didn’t allow the disease o take her life, and although it didn’t take her life it did take two very large factors of it, her ability to see and hear were expunged completely.
Helens parents went to great lengths to try and help Helen and to be able to communicate with her effectively. Although it took a lot of time, work and the thoughts of giving up came around; they finally found “the miracle worker” also known as Anne Sullivan. Anne agreed to teach Helen and help her understand and find ways to communicate with her family. Helen was a good kid, but not being able to see or hear did take its told over time and would send Helen into abrupt temper tantrums and the anger would cover come anything else. With Anne’s help and patience Helens communication skills blossomed over time. Helen went on, passing entrance exams and graduating from Radcliffe College in 1904. Graduating from that college in general was a difficult process and Helen accomplished it being deaf and blind. Helen became very successful publishing many books, poetry, and having endless amounts of quotes loved by many still today.
There are many things to enjoy and like about this book, seeing how strong Helen and her family stayed throughout the process and how positive Helen was for new things and games that helped her learn so much more, just makes people realize that people whom struggle with the fact of not being able to see or hear can still find the absolute beauty in everything around them. There isn’t much not to like about “The Story of my Life” although it is a lengthy book and can get a little hard to comprehend at times its written well and shows Helens point of view better than expected.

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May 02, 2013 Ashley Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Story of my Life Book Review

A biography of an amazing deaf and blind girl’s journey through life, The Story of my Life is an inspirational work of non-fiction.

Helen Keller was born June 27th 1880 in Tuscumbia Alabama. She was a bright, and cheerful toddler until she became ill with the brain fever. At 19 months Helen became completely deaf and blind, she was no longer her happy self. Those first 5 years of being deaf and blind were possibly the worst years of Helen's’ life as she remembers....more The Story of my Life Book Review

A biography of an amazing deaf and blind girl’s journey through life, The Story of my Life is an inspirational work of non-fiction.

Helen Keller was born June 27th 1880 in Tuscumbia Alabama. She was a bright, and cheerful toddler until she became ill with the brain fever. At 19 months Helen became completely deaf and blind, she was no longer her happy self. Those first 5 years of being deaf and blind were possibly the worst years of Helen's’ life as she remembers. Her world turned upside down, and she did not understand why or how it did. When Helen turned six her life changed for the better all because of her teacher Annie Sullivan, that’s where The Story of my Life began.

Annie Sullivan, along with Helen’s input writes this book with two major themes in mind that are “anything is possible”, and “never give up”. Throughout Helen’s journey she goes through many struggles, and hardships, but along the way learns that she can never give up, and if she does not give up anything is possible. The theme of the book seems popular, and nothing special for most non-fiction biographies.It’s what most people, like myself would expect in a book. However, the fact that the book actually gives off such a strong inspirational message makes it unique.

I really enjoyed this book, there was nothing I disliked about it besides a slow introduction. It was incredibly interesting to read about a deaf and blind girl’s life through her perspective. I was hesitant about reading this book because I thought it would be just like any other biography about a role model in society, boring. Turns out, I was wrong. This book had me hooked, and I remained interested in reading it the whole way through. Also I liked how in the back of the book it had a collection of all Helen’s letters that she wrote to people throughout her lifetime. The letters were non-edited and you could see exactly how Helen wrote, and how much her grammar improved over the years. Infact there were almost too many letters attached to the story, because I was never able to read through all of them.

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would, which is why I think other people would also enjoy it. Most of the time I do not read biographies. I do not enjoy reading stories that bore me and I know that often I cannot stand reading long, boring biographies. I usually don’t recommend books like this one, but after reading this I would recommend it. I would recommend The Story of my Life to anyone who has struggled in their life to overcome something such as a disability. Relating back to the theme “anything is possible” and “never give up” this book was probably written in order for Helen to tell the world her story and spread the message of those themes. Anyone going through struggle in their life should read this book.

Overall this was a great inspiring story, I would give it high ratings because it exceeded my expectations. I wouldn’t compare it to other biographies, or include other biography book recommendations similar to it. The Story of my Life is unlike any book I have ever read. (less)

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May 02, 2013 Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“The Story of my Life” by Helen Keller is an extraordinary story. It is as beautiful and captivating as a waterfall. The story, written by Helen Keller, was an autobiography of her life. At the age of nineteen months, Helen Keller became very ill and lost both her sight and her ability to hear. She wrote this story to talk about her struggles and her accomplishments. It disclosed to the readers facts which included her first word, her first teacher and letters she wrote to her loved ones. She w...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Stein rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographical, medical-associations

==Inexpression becomes eloquence==
Here we have the most complete and comprehensive volume illuminating the childhood and youth of Helen Keller in a revised edition of the original 1903 publication. It is divided into three main sections: 1. Keller's early autobiography "The Story of My Life"; 2. Letters written by her and to her 1887-1901; 3. A supplementary account of Keller, principally by her teacher Annie Sullivan.

This book is definitely one that will interest anyone who is related to or wor...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Arum Pratiwi added it · review of another edition

Judul : Story of My lLife by Hellen Keller
Pengarang: Hellen Keller
Tahun Penerbit: 2011
Penerbit: Genta Pusaka
Jumlah Halaman: 249
Penerjemah : A.Rudy Atmoko dan Sallahudienz G.Z

Helen Keller lahir di Tuscumbia, Alabama,tahun 1880. Dia lahir dengan normal akan tetapi pada usia 19 dia diserang penyakit langka yang mengakibatkan dirinya menjadi tuli,dan buta. hingga pada akhIrnya orangtuanya mencari orang yang dapat membimbing Hellen Keller. Hal itu dilakukan orang tuanya karena Hellen Keller sangat li...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Saquib rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only reason Helen Keller is still so famous so many years after her death is that she was the first highly educated deaf-blind person. So when most people read this book, i bet they'd be expecting unprecedented insights into the blind-deaf experience, but unfortunately that's just a small part of what the book turns out to be about. I don't care for list of people who helped her, I don't care for 4 pages on her favourite subjects at school, I don't care for reading about how many old men's l...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Jeanne Jackson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm glad I read this because I always had the feeling, after seeing The Miracle Worker, that Helen and Anne maintained this sort of combative relationship throughout Helen's childhood. Oh, I'd read some of Helen Keller's adult writings praising Anne Sullivan and they were, after all, lifetime companions. In spite of this, and in spite of the brief warm-fuzzy ending of the play, I was still left with the feeling that Helen was a manipulative little brat.

Very little of the book is actually written...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Rehab rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

هيلين كلير
سمها كما شئت فيمكن أن تقول إنها معجزه حياتيه ، قاهره الإعاقه ، رمز من رموز الإراده الإنسانيه وبالتأكيد أنشوده الأمل .

المرأه التى تحدت إعاقتها وفقدانها أهم حواس السمع والبصر ودُمرت فتره طفولتها فخلقت لنفسها عالمها الخاص
وأدخلت الشمس مره أخرى لحياتها ،ويرجع الفضل فى تحرير روحها من عقالها إلى معلمتها جسوره العزيمه والصانعه الحقيقيه لهذه المعجزه
هى المثابره آن سوليفان التى إستطاعت بقوه إرادتها أن تساعد هيلين على إسترداد بصرها وسمعها مره أخرى والتى رأت من خلالها العالم والتى تعتبر مثال عن...more هيلين كلير
سمها كما شئت فيمكن أن تقول إنها معجزه حياتيه ، قاهره الإعاقه ، رمز من رموز الإراده الإنسانيه وبالتأكيد أنشوده الأمل .

المرأه التى تحدت إعاقتها وفقدانها أهم حواس السمع والبصر ودُمرت فتره طفولتها فخلقت لنفسها عالمها الخاص
وأدخلت الشمس مره أخرى لحياتها ،ويرجع الفضل فى تحرير روحها من عقالها إلى معلمتها جسوره العزيمه والصانعه الحقيقيه لهذه المعجزه
هى المثابره آن سوليفان التى إستطاعت بقوه إرادتها أن تساعد هيلين على إسترداد بصرها وسمعها مره أخرى والتى رأت من خلالها العالم والتى تعتبر مثال عن كيف يجب أن يكون المعلم حقاً..

لك أن تتحيل الصعوبات التى واجهت الطفله الصماء العمياء البكماء فى حياتها و التى منعتها حتى من التواصل
مع أقرب الأقربين لها والعيش فى عالم مظلم لاصوت فيه يكسوه السواد والخوف إلا أنها لم تكن ضعيفه الإراده،
وكان لديها من المثابره أن تحول حياتها لعالم سعيد كما تصفه ولم يسود روحها السواد والظلام والحقد ولكنها أشرقت
بالأمل والتحدى وكللتها بالنجاح فلم تمنعها إعاقتها من إكمال دراستها وحصولها على الدكتوراه وكتابت المقالات
والمشاركه فى محاضرات وتأليف الكتب ودعم المكفوفين حول العالم وممارسه الرياضه ودراسه الفنون الجميله
وشمل ذلك الموسيقى دراسه وإستماعاً..

قصت هيلين فى سيرتها الكثير من لمحات حياتها فى تحدى الإعاقه والإحباطات التى واجهتها منذ الطفوله فى مكافحه الإعاقه منها
على سبيل المثال كيفيه تعلم بعض الكلمات والألفاظ والكلمات المعنويه بصفه خاصه وتروى لنا المشقه التى مرت بها عندما أرادت معلمتها
تعليمها التفرقه بين الكوب والماء نظراً لإقترانهما دائما ،وأيضاً كيف إستطاعت أن تعرف لها الحب التى كانت باب المرور للإدراك الألفاظ المعنويه بالنسبه لها
،، أغمض عينك وأذنك وأغلق فمك وتخيل كيف يمكنك أن تستوعب معاني مجردة مثل “حب” و”تفكير”. كيف ستفهمها؟ كيف ستشعر بها؟؟

معجزه هيلين تجلت بإختلاظ المعجزه الآلهيه بها ومثابره معلمتها ودأب والديها كل ذلك جعلها مصدر إلهام رائع ،أبهرنى وصفها الرائع الدقيق للأشياء من حولها والألفاظ التى من الممكن للمبصر كامل الحواس ألا يشعر بها ،أخجلتنى بجرأتنا على خلق الأعذار لأنفسنا وجعلتنى متأكده بأن العوائق التى نلاقيها فى طريقنا هى من صنع أيدينا فقط ...
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Mar 11, 2013 Kristiāna Pumpure rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Helēnas Kelleres gāmata "The Story of My Life" jeb "Mans dzīvesstāsts" ir 1903. gadā izdota autobiogrāfija, kuru autore sarakstījusi pati par savu neparasto un iedvesmojošo dzīvi. Šī ir pirmā Kelleres publicētā grāmata.
Stāsta darbība norisinās norisinās laikā no 1880. gada, kad Helēna ir dzimusi, līdz viņas studiju laikam 1902. gadā. Grāmata stāsta par autores pieredzi, bērnību un visu, kas viņai šķitis pietiekoši interesants un spilgts, lai iekļūtu šajā unikālajā dzīves aprakstā.
Helēna stās...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Emily Santiago rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Helen Keller. No doubt, one of the most most influential, inspiring, and spectacular beings to mark significance in a world we have yet to completely understand.

"The Story Of My Life", tells the remarkable events of young Helen's life until she was about 22. Seen through her own mind, the book explores such spectacular events such as her very first experiences in school, and the discovery of words, to the introduction of nature.

The book was spectacular. Told through such an intricate and innoc...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Elise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although this book gave me a lot of knowledge and insight into Helen Keller's world, it seemed to be very repetitive. I wanted more truth and drama. For example, I read this book a few weeks ago, yet what remains most prominent in my mind was her descriptions of her senses, her meetings with extraordinary and famous people, and her problems of plagiarism. Clearly there was more to her story than those topics, but I wished there was more that stuck out and more to relate with. I wanted to know mo...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Steven Schwope rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was absolutely fantastic. This autobiography was written by Helen Keller about herself. Writing a book is a feat on its own, but its especially impressive when the author was once blind, deaf, and mute. In this story everything that Helen can feel and spell is vividly described almost like she could see it. This book really tells a story. It takes you through the life of Helen Keller starting with her childhood, all the way through her education, and into her adult life. It has very go...more

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About Helen Keller

Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often relegated to the b...more Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often relegated to the background, spoken of only in hushed tones, is remarkable. But Keller's many other achievements are impressive by any standard: she authored 13 books, wrote countless articles, and devoted her life to social reform. An active and effective suffragist, pacifist, and socialist (the latter association earned her an FBI file), she lectured on behalf of disabled people everywhere. She also helped start several foundations that continue to improve the lives of the deaf and blind around the world.

In her lovingly crafted and deeply perceptive autobiography, Keller's joyous spirit is most vividly expressed in her connection to nature:

Indeed, everything that could hum, or buzz, or sing, or bloom, had a part in my education.... Few know what joy it is to feel the roses pressing softly into the hand, or the beautiful motion of the lilies as they sway in the morning breeze. Sometimes I caught an insect in the flower I was plucking, and I felt the faint noise of a pair of wings rubbed together in a sudden terror....

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“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” — 1,165 people liked it

“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” — 182 people liked it

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