sakura_m 's review for:

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

5.0

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The 106 pg autobiography is a quick and interesting read. I can't help but admire how much Helen Keller had overcome in her life. Her optimism, ambition, and tremendous love of learning had helped her grow beyond people's expectations. Critics of the book complain about how she didn't talk about what it was like to be blind and deaf, but how would one explain the only situation that they have known to others? (How would we describe seeing or hearing?) She does well in explaining how she has learned to navigate the world through her sense of touch (she writes about vibrations/sensations of being in the city, countryside, feeling people's faces and throat to communicate, etc.). Reading the Letters portion after the autobiography gives you a sense of how she learned to further communicate and understand language. When reading, people should note that she came from a time where assimilating to society was seen as the goal, unlike today where embracing differences is highlighted.