The Story of My Life, a remarkable account of overcoming the debilitating challenges of being both deaf and blind, has become an international classic, making Helen Keller one of the most well-known, inspirational figures in history. Originally published in 1903, Keller's fascinating memoir narrates the events of her life up to her third year at Radcliffe College.
Helen Keller's story of struggle and achievement is one of unquenchable hope. From tales of her difficult early days, to details of her relationship with her beloved teacher Anne Sullivan, to her impressions of academic life, Keller's honest, straightforward writing lends insight into an amazing mind. Like the original, this centenary edition of The Story of My Life includes letters Keller wrote to friends throughout her childhood and adolescence that chronicle her intellectual and sensory progression, as well as assistant John Macy's commentary on her interpretations of her surroundings.
In addition to reprinting Keller's long-lost original work, this edition contains excerpts from her little-known, deeply personal memoir The World We Live In, which give readers a detailed look into an otherwise unimaginable existence, as well as an excerpt from Out of the Dark, a political commentary Keller wrote during her years as a socialist.
Deftly edited and prefaced by scholar James Berger, this comprehensive anniversary edition celebrates a century of readers' enthrallment with one of the most powerful figures in history.
James Berger is associate professor of English at Hofstra University. The author of After the End: Representations of Post-Apocalypse, Berger has been awarded a Charles Phelps Taft Postdoctoral Fellowship by the University of Cincinnati and a research fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is now working on his next book, Those Who Can't Speak. He lives in Connecticut.
"Helen Keller is fellow to Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, Homer, Shakespeare, and the rest of the immortals. . . . She will be as famous a thousand years from now as she is today."
--Mark Twain