Hello Darkness: My doctor said, "Son, you will be blind tomorrow."

by Sanford D. Greenberg

Hello Darkness is the true story of a young man who at the peak of his college career loses his eyesight and is plunged into total darkness. Once, Sandy Greenberg had dreamed of being a lawyer, maybe even president. Now, he’s told he must walk cautiously through life. But that’s not how this story unfolds. Love, friendship, and his own iron determination write an entirely different end to this exceptionally inspiring story.

Imagine you are back home from college. It’s a beautiful summer evening, and you’re pitching in a baseball game when suddenly you can’t see the batter, your catcher, the mound beneath your feet. Sandy Greenberg recovered from that moment, but six months later, in the middle of a final exam, he went blind for good, and forevermore.

A junior at Columbia University on a full scholarship, Sandy had just started to see the world open up to him. But instead of his plans for a bright future, he now faces a new reality, one defined by a cane, a companion dog, jobs limited to his blindness.

In the depth of his new darkness, Sandy faces a choice—to play it “safe” or return to Columbia to pursue his dreams. With the loving devotion of his girlfriend (and now wife) Sue and the selflessness of his best friend, Art Garfunkel, and through his own unyielding determination, Sandy breaks the chains of blindness, graduates as president of his class, and forges a life of exceptional achievement.

The message of this book is Sandy did it, and you can, too. Or put even more Never give up.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2023

About the author

Inventor, author, public servant, and philanthropist on a mission to end blindness.

Reviews

[Ira Smith]

I first heard about Sanford Greenberg’s story a week before I started reading Hello Darkness. Unbeknownst to me, this was a young readers version of the book Greenberg published a couple of years ago. But that didn’t matter. The story of how he dealt with the onset of blindness at age 19, while a student at Columbia, and how he decided to work on overcoming obstacles, was inspiring. His friendship with Art Garfunkel is a beautiful story. Garfunkel, who was his roommate, helped get him through college and life. In return, when Garfunkel needed money in the early days of Simon and Garfunkel, Greenberg and his wife didn’t hesitate to nearly deplete their savings to help his dearest friend. A wonderful and inspiring story, no matter the age of the reader.

My thanks to Post Hill Press and to Netgalley for an ARC of the book.

[Kelly]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to read this book because I am also legally blind although I didn't lose my vision suddenly like the author did. That must e been so terrifying to lose vision then get it back for a bit only to lose it again.
This book was a young readers edition so it was fairly short. The writing wasn't as good as I'd expected but it was a pretty good book. Some parts were more like lists of his accomplishments, which seemed to not fit into the flow of the story.
He is an inspiring man and I like that he wants to end blindness by supporting researchers and organizations who deal with eye issues.

[Alma Crawford]

Hello Darkness: My doctor said, "Son, you will be blind tomorrow." by Sanford D. Greenberg

This is a very inspiring true story. It showed up in my mailbox at the perfect time this Fall. I was recovering from double eye surgery and couldn't wait for the doctor to ok my passion for reading again. I finished it last night, knowing this book deservers 5 stars.

Stanford trusted the wrong doctor for too long, he had a great friend who helped him through the dark times. You'll be surprised when you find out his name.

[Lauren]

I really enjoyed this memoir, though it was quite short. I didn't realize this was an adaptation of Greenberg's existing book targeted to younger audiences until I'd already started reading. I plan on checking out the full book at some point, but this was still a solid memoir in its own right. I really appreciated Greenberg's positivity and straightforwardness throughout the book.

I'd say the target audience for this would probably be middle grade.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Bibliohiker]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book.
This struck a chord with me since the author lost his sight as an adult. I lost sight in my left eye as an adult and it’s always there in the back of my mind that I could lose sight in my good eye. It was interesting how he navigates the world without using a guard dog or cane.

[Megan]

I thought this was a fascinating read! My only gripe is that I wish it was longer and more detailed about his life after Columbia, instead of the short synopsis at the very end. Overall, a very interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Carol Curley]

"Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel is an old favorite of mine and of many of my generation. Discovering that the lyrics were written in honor of Art Garfunkel's college roomate, I easily devoured this book in one sitting. It is very inspirational.

[Alex]

Incredible

[Annabel Lee]

[Audiobook] listened to the audiobook while climbing up and down hehuanshan in Taiwan

[Djohnson]

Incredible nonfiction book about an amazing friendship. Not the most eloquent or elaborate writing, but I loved the story.

[Marianne]

Very good biography of Greenberg and his experience of going blind. Great book for the YA crowd, format is really easy to read.