Since William Gibson's 1959 play and, later, the film The Miracle Worker, Helen Keller (1880-1968) has been overshadowed in memory by her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Helen Keller: A Life by Dorothy Herrmann is a solid, readable biography that restores Keller to the center of her own story. Includes photographs.

Veteran biographer Herrmann illustrates Keller's complex relationship with Sullivan, which included anger and resentment as well as affection. She candidly acknowledges Keller's frustrations and vices. Most of all, she demolishes society's image of Keller as a virginal, selfless, perfect Victorian maiden—in fact, she had an ego and a sex drive no different from able-bodied people. Helen Keller: A Life abounds in colorful touches such as Keller's delight in performing on the vaudeville circuit—her admirers were scandalized, but she adored "the warm tide of human life pulsing round and round me."

Herrmann’s degree of speculation about the thoughts and feeling of two women who lived over 75 years ago is often excessive, especially where it concerns sex. Some may find her constant stress on “giving Helen back her sexuality” tiresome, especially her continuous references to Keller's great beauty when photographs show a quite average face. It may even seem as if Herrmann downplays Keller's accomplishments, including her socialist and racially egalitarian views, in favor of her sexuality. She also endows the people surrounding Keller and Sullivan with salacious ulterior motives, when in all likelihood their kind actions were entirely innocent. However, her attempts to illustrate the power struggles and manipulation to which Keller was subjected are interesting, even when they are overly speculative.

In all, Helen Keller: A Life is extremely readable in comparison to other Keller biographies and very well-written. Herrmann avoids sentimentality and gives readers a flesh-and-blood woman—rendering her achievements all the more remarkable. It is a useful book for anyone who uses Helen Keller as an example to others with disabilities.


Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Publish date: December 15, 1999
414 pages
ISBN-10: 0226327639
ISBN-13: 978-0226327631