After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller
(By Max Wallace)
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| Author | Max Wallace |
Helen Keller is an enduring and iconic American figure, inspiring books, movies, and even Barbie dolls. Much of the mainstream portrayal of Helen focuses heavily on her struggles as a child, making her teacher and interpreter Anne Sullivan the heroine for having performed a “miracle” in helping Helen communicate. Helen’s time as an adult has become merely an afterthought, leaving her a secondary character in her own story. Few of us are aware that the most impressive thing about Helen Keller is not that she learned how to speak, but how she used her voice throughout her life to fight for equality across class, race, and ability.
After the Miracle is a much-needed corrective to this predominant narrative. Drawing on extensive original research, Max Wallace reveals that the lionization of Anne at the expense of her famous pupil was no accident. In this fascinating new window into one of the 20th century’s most celebrated figures, readers will learn about Helen's efforts to live in line with her values as a card-carrying socialist and a fierce anti-racist in addition to her advocacy for fellow deaf and blind Americans. Raised in an era when eugenics and ableism were rampant and widely accepted, Helen struggled against the expectations and prejudices of even those closest to her. This eye-opening biography peels back the curtain on how and why Helen’s real legacy has been twisted to be more palatable, and brings her full story—good, bad, and ugly—to light.”
