One of the "hundred most important books of the twentieth century" (New York Public Library), finally published in complete form.

The story of Helen Keller, the young girl who triumphed over deafness and blindness, has been indelibly marked into our cultural consciousness. That triumph, shared with her teacher Anne Sullivan, has been further popularized by the play and movie The Miracle Worker. Yet the astonishing original version of Keller's and Sullivan's story, first published in 1903, has been out of print for many years and lost to the public.

Now, one hundred years after its initial publication, eminent literary scholar Roger Shattuck, in collaboration with Keller biographer Dorothy Herrmann, has reedited the book to reflect more accurately its original composition. Keller's remarkable acquisition of language is presented here in three successive accounts: Keller's own version; the letters of "teacher" Anne Sullivan, submerged in the earliest edition; and the valuable documentation by their young assistant, John Macy. Including opening and closing commentary by Shattuck and notes by Hermann, this volume will stand for years as the definitive edition of a classic work. 10 b/w illustrations....

Helen Keller's The Story of My Life changed the world. But The World I Live In, Keller's sequel to her autobiography, remains almost completely unknown. Here, responding to skeptics who doubted that a girl who was blind, deaf, and mute almost from birth could find words to describe her experience, Keller presents a striking word-picture of her reality. The World I Live In is an evocative, inspirational, and deeply moving account of an extraordinary woman's keenest impressions. It includes Keller's first published essay, written when she was 12 years old....

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Helen Keller's triumph over her blindness and deafness has become one of the most inspiring and well-known stories of our time, as well as the subject of movies and plays such as The Miracle Worker. Here is her famous autobiography, a book that captures her early years and her struggle to communicate and become educated. Includes selected letters....

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED

BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

The extraordinary account of Helen Keller's struggle to overcome the challenges of being deaf and blind--a masterpiece of modern biography.

EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

• A chronology of the author's life and work

• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

• Detailed explanatory notes

• Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON

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THE 100th YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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....

The extraordinary personal account of Helen Keller's struggle to overcome the challenges of being deaf and blind---a masterpiece of modern biography....