REVIEW: This is a biography of Helen Keller's teacher Annie Sullivan. It begins with her arrival at Ivy Green in 1887 and chronicles the highs and lows of the first few weeks as she struggled to break through Helen's blindness and deafness to unlock a world of language and discovery. Readers familiar with Helen Keller's story will find many similarities, however, in some instances Annie comes across as more cruel. This is perhaps a more realistic account of the events of the time as Annie struggled against the family's pampering of Helen. The book formally ends with Helen's breakthrough at the water pimp but also has an afterword, which tells about their lives after that fateful day. In addition, there is a bibliography of other books, films, articles, and online sources.
OPINION: I have read other biographies about Annie Sullivan but I felt that this one was the most honest. Annie Sullivan had a difficult childhood herself and struggled with her own eyesight and feelings of worth. This book did not make Annie into a saint but spoke the truth about her warts and all. Looking back on her treatment of Helen at the beginning one might see her as very harsh. However, her persistence and insistence on not coddling Helen helped to break through the barriers and free Helen. I found this book to be a refreshing look at Annie and the emotions she dealt with because of her past and as she became so important to Helen.
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