The epic story of Annie Sullivan's perseverance and triumph in the face
of hardship will enthrall readers of every age. This pioneering teacher
overcame disability and misfortune before achieving her success as one
of the most famous educators of all time.
This is the inspiring photobiography of Anne Mansfield Sullivan, a woman
born into a life of daunting disadvantage and social obstacle. She grew
up poor, with little education, the child of struggling Irish
immigrants. By the age of eight, Annie was almost blind because of
untreated trachoma. Following her mother's death, the young girl entered
an almshouse, where she spent four years among the most wretched of
society's outcasts. Her inquiring intellect and determination helped her
escape this bleak detention, and she was sent to the Perkins School for
the Blind.
There, at the age of 14, her education began, and her lively mind soon
blossomed. After graduation, she was hired as a teacher for Helen
Keller, a six-year-old girl who was blind and deaf due to illness. With
patience and compassion, Annie reached into the dark, silent world of
the little girl, opening her mind and soul to life's beauty. She became
"Helen's eyes." Because of her inspired breakthroughs and
accomplishments with Helen, Annie was soon known as the "Miracle
Worker." Annie and Helen spent the rest of their lives together--two
complex women with feisty personalities who achieved international
acclaim.
Marfé Ferguson Delano's evocative account of teacher and student
breaking down barriers to enjoy the wonders of intellectual discovery is
a profoundly moving story.