What are you currently reading?
Tess of d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
For Study: The Ramayana by Ramesh Menon
What did you just finish reading?
Empire of Sin by Gary Krist
Trollhunters by Guillermo del Torro
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
Trust No One by Paul Cleave
Awake by Dan Chaon
When I was growing up, Helen Keller was known to me as a little girl who was dealt the worst card imaginable–no sight and no hearing. I had seen the movie at school and it’s brevity made me intensely grateful for my abilities. I’m sure we watched it in an effort to promote our knowledge of diversity–in a small school without a lot of variety, such help was important. But I don’t remember the movie showing much about Keller’s life other than her horrible fits and the triumphant moment at the water pump.
I can’t be alone in that impression, because today Helen Keller has become a horribly offensive meme. Even before memes were a thing, there were crude jokes about her disability–similar to Chuck Norris jokes only cruel instead of badass. The movie meant to show a girl’s victory instead highlighted too much of the bad, not enough of the good. And unfortunately, we are too immature to handle that kind of strength.
Those were the thoughts I had when I picked up The Story of My Life. I wanted to know what actually happened to the little girl at the water pump. There had to of been more, or we wouldn’t still be talking about her.
She wrote the first of her memoirs at 21, while at college. College! School was hard enough for me with all of my faculties, I couldn’t imagine going with two major senses gone–and she does describe the struggles she had. She also goes into as much detail as she remembers of the time before Anne Sullivan arrives on scene (no mention of the water pump), and many other moments in her life.
Her writing is beautiful and insightful. She discusses the importance of education quite a bit, and the beauty of the world from her perspective. It’s a lovely little book–only 100 pages, plus another 100 pages of letters. Definitely worth the read for those interested in memoirs and history in general, or anyone wanting to get to know this amazing figure.
What are you currently reading?
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
For Study: The Ramayana by Ramesh Menon
What did you just finish reading?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Review up tomorrow)
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E Reichert
The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
Trust No One by Paul Cleave
Tess of the D’Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy
I picked up a book at the book sale the other day that I’m really looking forward to reading. In elementary school, I remember learning about Helen Keller, and she’s always been someone who has stuck with me. She faced so much adversity because of her disabilities, but she grew into such a strong, loving woman. I could not imagine living in complete darkness and silence, how lonely that must have been. And she didn’t let that stop her from living a great life.
As I Lay Reading 