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joylesnick's review against another edition
4.0
Haben Grima is the first Deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Her life story is impressive, and she finishing it on the 30th anniversary of the ADA was perfect timing. Her experiences are a clear reminder of how ableist our society (still) is and how we could (should all work for) change.
jetaway's review against another edition
3.0
I’d like to assign this book a 3.5 because I am really glad I read it, and I felt that the earlier chapters/essays had abrupt endings that tried too hard to wrap things up neatly. They read very much like a series of blog posts compiled for a book rather than a traditional memoir. The longer essays towards the end are more developed and nuanced. I really enjoyed learning more about disability advocacy from Haben’s stories.
redlittlelily2793's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Haben is the adventure story everyone who has a disability of any kind needs to read. She makes the decision from a young age to live boldly and enjoy life, but in a way that isn't flashy. What a great woman to introduce to young girls!
nataliecoyne's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Giving memoirs less than 5 stars just feels wrong most of the time. Like who am I to dictate how someone tells their own life story? But the .5 reduction that I am giving this is because I was hoping to read more about Haben's experiences at Harvard Law, after all the title of the book is Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. Seems like Harvard Law would be an important part of this, but it just wasn't. Her time at Harvard was only depicted through took one, 29-page chapter.
Additionally, I wish we got more of her climb to fame (is fame the right word? I'm not entirely sure, but I can't think of a better one right now). I wasn't super familiar with Haben's story before going into this book. Therefore, suddenly reading that she was gifted a scarf by the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs and was also then invited to speak at the White House, was something that was just ... surprising? Just because it feels like it came out of nowhere. Her experiences with public speaking weren't even mentioned until the epilogue (after these details)!
Nonetheless, I think this is a great read. There's a reason it's still 4.5 stars and rounded up to 5 stars. Haben's writing is fantastic. While I wish she had written more, her writing was completely encapsulating and was easy to understand, it was not filled with any sort of legal jargon or anything. This was also a quick and easy read. Typically, I read a page per minute. So when I sat down to read for two hours, I thought I would make it to somewhere around page 120. Instead, I made it to page 197. Then, after about an hour of doing other things, I went to read for another hour and actually finished the remaining 91 pages in less than an hour. (Writing this, I do recognize that, if Haben had included more detail, it wouldn't have been as quick of a read.)
Her experiences themselves are also really fascinating. In particular, I enjoyed reading about Haben's time in Mali. Then, for more of an educational side of things, the chapters detailing her time in Louisiana, and the chapter about her time working on the Scribd case, were very educational.
I would still definitely recommend this to others.
Additionally, I wish we got more of her climb to fame (is fame the right word? I'm not entirely sure, but I can't think of a better one right now). I wasn't super familiar with Haben's story before going into this book. Therefore, suddenly reading that she was gifted a scarf by the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs and was also then invited to speak at the White House, was something that was just ... surprising? Just because it feels like it came out of nowhere. Her experiences with public speaking weren't even mentioned until the epilogue (after these details)!
Nonetheless, I think this is a great read. There's a reason it's still 4.5 stars and rounded up to 5 stars. Haben's writing is fantastic. While I wish she had written more, her writing was completely encapsulating and was easy to understand, it was not filled with any sort of legal jargon or anything. This was also a quick and easy read. Typically, I read a page per minute. So when I sat down to read for two hours, I thought I would make it to somewhere around page 120. Instead, I made it to page 197. Then, after about an hour of doing other things, I went to read for another hour and actually finished the remaining 91 pages in less than an hour. (Writing this, I do recognize that, if Haben had included more detail, it wouldn't have been as quick of a read.)
Her experiences themselves are also really fascinating. In particular, I enjoyed reading about Haben's time in Mali. Then, for more of an educational side of things, the chapters detailing her time in Louisiana, and the chapter about her time working on the Scribd case, were very educational.
I would still definitely recommend this to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, and Bullying
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Excrement, and War
msliz_31's review against another edition
3.0
Very inspiring stories about the author’s determination to not be hindered by her physical challenges and work to provide better access to assistive communication technology for other visually and hearing impaired persons. Haben’s story, while a memoir, reads more like a collection of stories about daunting tasks and challenges and how she overcomes them with her drive, her intellect and her support system. Although sometimes the flow of the book seems a little choppy, it is a remarkable testament again to her ability that she wrote this book independently.
lizfaw's review against another edition
5.0
A compelling memoir of a remarkable woman. Girma invites sighted and hearing readers into her experience and generously shares the challenges she is routinely forced to address. The final section of the book includes recommendations for more accessible spaces and additional resources for education. It’s also a very approachable book and a quick read.
cpaul89's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. Memoir is one of my favorite genres. I adore being able to learn about a person's experiences through their perspective.
Haben Girma is the first Deafblind Harvard graduate, but that isn't all. In this book, Haben shares many of her childhood experiences and how she learns to navigate the world.
This book is an important representation of a tremendous life full of astounding experiences and the need for accessibility in our world. Shocking statistics accompany charming and relatable experiences in the writing of this story.
If you read a book this year, please let this be it. I read it in a day. It is accessible, relatable, while also shining a light on an experience many or most of us do not have. We can learn from Haben to do our part to uphold increasing access for people with disabilities.
Haben Girma is the first Deafblind Harvard graduate, but that isn't all. In this book, Haben shares many of her childhood experiences and how she learns to navigate the world.
This book is an important representation of a tremendous life full of astounding experiences and the need for accessibility in our world. Shocking statistics accompany charming and relatable experiences in the writing of this story.
If you read a book this year, please let this be it. I read it in a day. It is accessible, relatable, while also shining a light on an experience many or most of us do not have. We can learn from Haben to do our part to uphold increasing access for people with disabilities.
whosbradpitt's review against another edition
3.5
An interesting memoir tackling access and activism from the lens of someone with disabilities. The story of trying to get an accessible menu and the challenges of eating in a college dining hall without one was particularly compelling. I would have liked more of her career.