An American classic rediscovered by each generation, The Story of My Life is Helen Keller’s account of her triumph over deafness and b...
read full description
reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Caitlin
rated it: 
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 t More...
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 t More...
Mar 26, 2009
Laurel
rated it: 
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 Harvard).
I think most know that H More...
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 Harvard).
I think most know that H More...
2 comments
like
(8 people liked it)
Nov 02, 2008
Adrienne
rated it:
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 More...
“Sometimes it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 29, 2012
Bubbles.. Dane
rated it:
That's right Laura I read this fictional story.
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 30, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
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 More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Aug 07, 2008
Marco
rated it: 
The book is educational, historic, somewhat interesting, but as far as great memoirs go, Keller was not a very good writer. Her book is full of purple prose. (If you are unfamiliar with the term, look it up, the term will last you a lifetime.)
She may have been a greatly accomplished activist and spokesperson for various causes. She certainly accomplished more in one life time than most people could ever accomplish in thirty lifetimes, if they were granted the chance to live over and More...
She may have been a greatly accomplished activist and spokesperson for various causes. She certainly accomplished more in one life time than most people could ever accomplish in thirty lifetimes, if they were granted the chance to live over and More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Feb 24, 2008
Wellington
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 13, 2007
Russ
rated it:
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 unt More...
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 unt More...
Nov 26, 2008
John
rated it:
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!
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!
5 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 13, 2008
Heather
rated it:
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 kn
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 25, 2009
Kay
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 01, 2007
Ginny
rated it:
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 autobi
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 25, 2008
Bridget
rated it:
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 lan More...
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 lan More...
Jun 30, 2011
Glamorous
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 10, 2011
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. Gra More...
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. Gra More...
Dec 25, 2011
Alyson
rated it:
This book as been on my to-read list for a few years now. I was excited when I saw it in the audio section at the library. Helen Keller wrote this book while a student in college. She is a very inspirational person and I enjoyed learning about her life. I would, of course, like to learn more about her since the book is about the early years of her life.
I listened to the last half of the book while driving to and from Provo earlier this month. I loved her thoughts on education found in More...
I listened to the last half of the book while driving to and from Provo earlier this month. I loved her thoughts on education found in More...
Dec 04, 2011
K.K.
rated it:
You know, this book did two things for me. First, it made complaining about...anything ever really lose its consequence when you compare whatever it is to the fact that at least you are not blind AND deaf.
But I will admit that I now understand things about Helen that I had not previously considered. First, I always imagined the unruly Helen, pre-Anne Sullivan days, running around in her bare feet and scraggly hair (which apparently holds true), but this image conjured a poorer life st More...
But I will admit that I now understand things about Helen that I had not previously considered. First, I always imagined the unruly Helen, pre-Anne Sullivan days, running around in her bare feet and scraggly hair (which apparently holds true), but this image conjured a poorer life st More...
Nov 18, 2011
Heatherwilliamson
rated it:
I have never really been able to comprehend how Helen Keller, blind and deaf, was able to learn and become so articulate she could write books. I decided to read about her life and I am still amazed at what she was able to accomplish. Along with English she also learned French, German, Greek and Latin. She writes beautifully and uses very colorful descriptions and then you realize she is still in a dark, silent world. Her story is so inspiring and uplifting though like all of us she had moments
More...
Oct 18, 2011
Fatima
rated it:
This is an absolute must-read. I shied away from this book for a long time because I was afraid to read about such unspeakable tragedy. I mean, a little 2 yr old girl losing her sight & hearing from scarlet fever?! Luckily, Helen thrived & although it is impossible not to cry while reading this book, it is just so incredibly valuable. First of all, it's a joy to read Helen's descriptions of life using senses other than sight & hearing. We rely so much on those 2 senses that we don't fully appre
More...
Feb 06, 2011
Ethemx
rated it:
Erst neulich habe ich in meinem Traum von einem kleinen, 10 jährigen Mädchen geträumt. Ich wusste sofort wer dieses Mädchen war und freute mich sie zu treffen. Sie sah mir tief in die Augen, obwohl ich wusste das sie mich nicht sehen kann. Sie verstand mein Gesprochenes, obwohl ich wusste das sie nicht hören kann. Ich nahm ihre Hand und wollte etwas auf ihre Hand buchstabieren. Das Mädchen hatte plötzlich ein Glanz in ihren Augen und sie freute sich, wie ich es nur selten von jemandem gesehen ha
More...
Jan 04, 2011
Wendi
rated it:
If you've read any of my other reviews, you will always know what season I'm in if I start out saying that I didn't so much as read this book as I listened to it on audio. I did a search online for free audiobooks because the audiobooks I put on hold at my local library weren't ready to be picked up yet.
I was enthralled with the idea of listening to The Story of My Life, recorded by a volunteer with a nice voice (albeit, the audio was goofy periodically). http://freeclassicaudiobooks.com/audiobo... More...
I was enthralled with the idea of listening to The Story of My Life, recorded by a volunteer with a nice voice (albeit, the audio was goofy periodically). http://freeclassicaudiobooks.com/audiobo... More...
Dec 08, 2010
Patrick
rated it:
amazon review:
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 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 More...
Oct 17, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Winston Churchill has called her, “the greatest woman of our age”, and Mark Twain has said she is one of the most interesting characters of the nineteenth century. Who is she? you may ask. Helen Keller, “the only well-educated deaf and blind person in the world”, as stated by John Albert Macy, her editor.
Ever since I read The Story of Helen Keller by Lorena A. Hickok when I was a child, I have been fascinated by her. Now many years later, reading the restored 100th anniversary edition More...
Ever since I read The Story of Helen Keller by Lorena A. Hickok when I was a child, I have been fascinated by her. Now many years later, reading the restored 100th anniversary edition More...
Oct 12, 2010
Tina Rae
rated it:
This book took me absolutely forever to read but it was well worth it. (I have a huge problem with reading books that are entirely description because I get, er, distracted easily and forget to read =P) I'm really glad I actually did persevere and finish this book. Helen Keller was an amazing woman who overcame so much in her life. I've seen a couple of the movies made about her and I feel that they portrayed her as a "wild child" who couldn't be taught. But when you read this book, yo
More...
Jun 25, 2010
Michael
rated it:
Here's the amazing story of Helen Keller, a deaf and blind woman who achieved so much and experienced so much of life despite her handicaps. Besides her own story, it's a tribute to Ann Sullivan, her devoted teacher, who made such a difference in her life. I didn't know before that one of the main ways Helen learned was by people signing into her hands. I also learned that she read lips by physically feeling people's mouths. And I was surprised to hear that she experienced works of art, such
More...
Nov 13, 2009
Jacquelyn
rated it:
I have always admired Helen Keller. As kids, we read about her life and her accomplishments. As kids, we all said our share of oooohs and wows as our teachers told us about her courage and everything she had to overcome. But reading this autobiography gives one a deeper look into how she felt when she was just growing up. Her frustrations. Her fears. Her anger. Her longings. Her confusion. And more, this easy-to-read book gives a deeper insight into her love of learning and love of nature, which
More...
Oct 16, 2009
Clay
rated it:
This short autobiography of Helen Keller (written when she was only 22) was compelling and, at times, moving. The fact that her experiences are vastly different from those of my own colors her story telling and brings life to mundane details of life.
Some parts of the story did drag, such as when she was defending herself against charges of plagiarizing a story she wrote when she was twelve years old, or the endless list of friends (some of them quite famous) that she thanks at the end More...
Some parts of the story did drag, such as when she was defending herself against charges of plagiarizing a story she wrote when she was twelve years old, or the endless list of friends (some of them quite famous) that she thanks at the end More...
Aug 13, 2009
Drebbles
rated it:
Written when Helen Keller was 22, "The Story of My Life" is about her life as a child and young lady. She was not born blind and deaf, but as a toddler suffered an illness that almost killed her and robbed her of her sight and hearing. Helen was seemingly unteachable and growing wilder each day until Helen's parents hired Anne Sullivan who was to become her beloved "Teacher". Helen became a proficient student, learning not only to read and write and speak, but also learning s
More...
Feb 06, 2012
Sudha
rated it:
Before I start pouring out what I have been dying to tell everyone, i must say that this book is 'A must read'. And one that must not be read just once and left to adorn the bookshelf. This is a book that can uplift one's soul and give it wings and it must be let to do so.
Even though it is not a thriller, it was difficult for me to stretch it beyond 2 sittings. My hungry soul devoured the elixir of goodness and hope and strength that was showered upon it, sincerely regretting that this More...
Even though it is not a thriller, it was difficult for me to stretch it beyond 2 sittings. My hungry soul devoured the elixir of goodness and hope and strength that was showered upon it, sincerely regretting that this More...
Aug 22, 2011
Gabrielle
rated it:
The book comprised of two parts, the first being The Story of My Life and the second being reproductions of letters written throughout some of her life. The book got me thinking about a lot of things, probably the most important (to me) was the lack of recorded personal history that my generation will leave behind. This came to me while reading the second part of the novel.
I think I enjoyed the second part far more that the first but overall I found the book almost tedious to read. More...
I think I enjoyed the second part far more that the first but overall I found the book almost tedious to read. More...
