The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

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Title: The Story of My Life

Author: Helen Keller

Genre: Biography/Memoir

Length: 400 pages

Published: 1902 (original); 2004 (version I read)

Publisher: Modern Library

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) 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.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was definitely a very interesting read. It's set out in three parts: Part 1 was Helen Keller telling her life story, Part 2 was a series of letters that she sent to friends and acquaintances, and Part 3 was a lot of supplemental information using letters from her teacher telling about how she taught Helen language, writing, history, and to speak. It was quite fascinating to learn about how Helen learned to do the things that come naturally to so many people. She was truly a very inspiring woman and very determined to be like everyone else and not be viewed differently.

You can purchase The Story of My Life through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Story of My Life? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir, Michèle Fitoussi

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Title: Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail

Author: Malika Oufkir, Michèle Fitoussi

Genre: Biography, Memoir

Length: 294 pages

Published: 2002

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Born into a proud Berber family in 1953, the eldest daughter of the King of Morocco's closest aide, Malika Oufkir was adopted at the age of five by King Muhammad V to be brought up as the companion of his daughter, Princes Amina. When he died, his son Hassan II became King and took charge of rearing the two girls as well as his own children. Malika spent eleven years living at the court, in the seclusion of the harem, until she left the palace, at the age of 16, as one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom and tasted a couple of years of a heady jet-set lifestyle. On August 16th, 1972, her father, General Muhammad Oufkir, was arrested and executed after an attempt to assassinate the king. Malika, her mother, and four siblings were imprisoned in a penal colony.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is the tale of a girl and her family who have everything, and how that was ripped away from them the day their father tried to assassinate the king. Malika tells their story and gives voice to her siblings, mother, and the two women who chose to go with them, in this memoir. For their father's botched attempt at assassination, the Oufkir family was made to "disappear", for twenty years. 

At first it was closer to a house arrest, they still had advantages: books, radio, clothing, fresh food. Eventually they got moved to a horrible place where they were separated, lived in horrible conditions, ate rancid meat and rotten vegetables, received no medical attention, and somehow survived for years through their own ingenuity and hope. Malika became a mother figure to her siblings as well as a teacher and confidant. 

Then the day came where Malika, one of her sisters, and her two brothers managed to escape. Together, the Oufkir family managed to stick together, stay strong, and escape their bonds. This was definitely a great memoir to read.

You can purchase Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail through Amazon in hard copy format. 

Have you read Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

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Title: Reading Lolita in Tehran

Author: Azar Nafisi 

Genre: Biography, Memoir

Length: 347 pages

Published: 2003

Publisher: Random House

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic expression, the girls in Azar Nafisi's living room risked removing their veils and immersed themselves in the worlds of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. In this extraordinary memoir, their stories become intertwined with the ones they are reading. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was a very good memoir. Azar Nafisi is a married literature professor living in her home country of Iran. After she leaves her job, she finds her time spent reading English literature and eventually decides to start up a class with some of the female students she had previously taught. She kept this class for two years before finally deciding to leave Iran with her family and move to the U.S. to avoid the heavy handed Islamic regime and the laws which basically treated women like they were nothing. 

There was a lot of very interesting information about her experiences in Iran through the 1980s and 1990s and how people had to live in fear of their own government. Drawing on her literary background, she uses quotes and specific books to help make her opinions to her students known and to help the reader understand why she did many of the things she did. 

The main thing I did not like was that the story almost seemed out of order and it was hard to follow the correct timeline of events. She breaks her memoir out into four different parts, detailing classes she gave about certain authors and their works, so it was definitely hard to completely follow when certain things happened.

You can purchase Reading Lolita in Tehran through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Reading Lolita in Tehran? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello

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Title: Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho

Author: Stephen Rebello

Genre: Biography / History

Length: 224 pages

Published: 2010

Publisher: Open Road Media

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) First released in June 1960, Psycho altered the landscape of horror films forever. But just as compelling as the movie itself is the story behind it, which has been adapted as a movie starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh.

Stephen Rebello brings to life the creation of one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, from the story of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration for the character of Norman Bates, to Hitchcock’s groundbreaking achievements in cinematography, sound, editing, and promotion. Packed with captivating insights from the film’s stars, writers, and crew members, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a riveting and definitive history of a signature Hitchcock cinematic masterpiece.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was a random book I found while perusing Amazon. It was fairly cheap so I was definitely intrigued and picked it up (the kindle version). All in all it wasn't too bad. It gave a lot of great information about how Hitchcock came across the story of Psycho (a novel by Robert Bloch), how the censors of the 1950s worked with movies, and how he directed this cult classic. 

There were a lot of references to other films, actors, directors, etc. and that made for some of the information to be a little distracting, but I can see why those references were necessary. I loved reading about Hitchcock's quirks. He was definitely a brilliant filmmaker. It was sad to see how he struggled after the success of Psycho. 

Definitely a must read for fans of the movie!

You can purchase Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway

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Title: The Little Locksmith

Author: Katharine Butler Hathaway

Genre: Biography/Memoir

Length: 237 pages

Published: 1943

Publisher: Coward-McCann Inc, NY

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The Little Locksmith, Katharine Butler Hathaway's luminous memoir of disability, faith, and transformation, is a critically acclaimed but largely forgotten literary classic brought back into print for the first time in thirty years. The Little Locksmith begins in 1895 when a specialist straps five-year-old Katharine, then suffering from spinal tuberculosis, to a board with halters and pulleys in a failed attempt to prevent her being a "hunchback." Her mother says that she should be thankful that her parents are able to have her cared for by a famous surgeon; otherwise, she would grow up to be like the "little locksmith," who does jobs at their home; he has a "strange, awful peak in his back." Forced to endure "a horizontal life of night and day," Katharine remains immobile until age fifteen, only to find that she, too, has a hunched back and is "no larger than a ten-year-old child." The Little Locksmith charts Katharine's struggle to transcend physical limitations and embrace her life, her body and herself in the face of debilitating bouts of frustration and shame. Her spirit and courage prevail, and she succeeds in expanding her world far beyond the boundaries prescribed by her family and society: she attends Radcliffe College, forms deep friendships, begins to write, and in 1921, purchases a house of her own in Castine, Maine. There she creates her home, room by room, fashioning it as a space for guests, lovers, and artists. The Little Locksmith stands as a testimony to Katharine's aspirations and desires-for independence, for love, and for the pursuit of her art. We tend to forget nowadays that there is more than one variety of hero (and heroine). Katharine Butler Hathaway, who died last Christmas Eve, was the kind of heroine whose deeds are rarely chronicled. They were not spectacular and no medal would have been appropriate for her. All she did was to take a life which fate had cast in the mold of a frightful tragedy and redesign it into a quiet, modest work of art. The life was her own.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This is a touching memoir about a woman who was afflicted with spinal tuberculosis as a young child. In order to prevent her back from having a horrible hump, she was strapped to a board for 10 years of her life. She still ended up with a deformity, but probably not as severe as what she would have had without this treatment. 

Her time as an invalid taught her to enjoy all of the little things around her, things that most people take for granted. This story tells how she rose above her deformity and became the woman she thinks she was meant to be. I found the writing to be a bit flowery and perhaps overly descriptive in some aspects, but as she spent her childhood and young adulthood writing poetry, I suppose this is to be expected. This is truly a touching tale and definitely worth the read!

You can purchase The Little Locksmith through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Little Locksmith? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter

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Title: J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography

Author: Humphrey Carpenter

Genre: Biography

Length: 287 pages

Published: 1977

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) One day while grading papers, J.R.R. Tolkien inexplicably wrote "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" in the margin - thereby setting out on the path that would bring him fame, fortune, and the devotion of millions. A veteran of the Battle of the Somme, he was a close friend of C. S. Lewis and an editor of the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY before becoming the Merton Professor of English at Oxford.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This is a great biography of one of my favorite authors. Not much can be said, except that I found it extremely interesting and I now feel like I have a much better handle on who J.R.R. Tolkien was. I loved the way Mr. Carpenter would describe a typical day in Tolkien's world, as it helped me to really understand how he worked.

The only reason this is being given a 4 instead of a 5 is that there were several instances where I grew bored with what was being talked about or grew a little confused as to what was happening. These confusing/boring parts were mostly chapters where he talked about philology in more depth or had a lot of letters to and from Tolkien and his friends. Otherwise this is a great book to learn more about one of the greatest fantasy authors (at least in my opinion) ever.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography is not currently available for purchase but here is the page for it on Amazon. 

Have you read J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister

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Title: The Secret Holocaust Diaries

Author: Nonna Bannister

Genre: Memoir, History

Length: 299 pages

Published: 2009

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Nonna Bannister carried a secret almost to her Tennessee grave: the diaries she kept as a young girl experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust while learning compassion and love for her fellow human beings. Nonna's writings tell the remarkable tale of how a Russian girl, born into a family that had known wealth and privileges, was exposed to the concentration camps and learned the value of human life and the importance of forgiveness.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Nonna Bannister spent her life after WWII keeping the secret of her heritage from her husband and children. Some time before she died, she showed her husband everything: the secret diaries she had kept throughout her youth and WWII which she had painstakingly translated over the years. After her death, the diaries were published.

A lot of the book focuses on her youth and the happy times with her family. There are a lot of very interesting facts about Russian culture and history that I did not know prior to reading this book. the book starts out with a few chapters about how her mother and her ended up on the train heading west into Europe. After a heartbreaking scene, it delves into Nonna's family history and diary entries from her youth. It resumes with everything that happened to her and her mother in WWII. 

You can really see the bubble of innocence that Nonna lived in growing up and how that bubble was shattered by the war. She ended up coming through stronger than ever. Most memoirs from WWII seem to be mostly written by Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, so this was a refreshing change since it gave insight on WWII from the perspective of a Russian labor worker. 

You can purchase The Secret Holocaust Diaries through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Secret Holocaust Diaries? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Anne Frank, Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance

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Title: Anne Frank, Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance

Author: Ruud van der Rol, Rian Verhoeven

Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography

Length: 113 pages

Published: 1995

Publisher: Turtleback Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Photographs, illustrations, and maps accompany historical essays, diary excerpts, and interviews, providing an insight to Anne Frank and the massive upheaval which tore apart her world.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I haven't read The Diary of Anne Frank since I was a little girl, but it was something that has always haunted me. The Holocaust was a horrific time in world history and my heart has always gone out to those who lost their lives or their loved ones. So when I found this juvenile non-fiction book about Anne Frank and her family, I knew I needed to pick it up and read it. It didn't take long and it's not too graphic in regards to the atrocities that happened in the concentration camps. It's the perfect read for a child between the ages of 8 and 12 who is reading The Diary of Anne Frank or learning about WWII in school.

There are a lot of pictures of Anne and her family, as well as accompanying text to outline their lives. There are maps showing the concentration camps and where the Frank family lived before the war. It was really fascinating to learn a little bit more about the Frank family, as well as what some of the Jewish people in Europe had to deal with during this horrible time.

You can purchase Anne Frank, Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance through Amazon in hard copy format. 

Have you read Anne Frank, Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness by Lori Schiller

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Title: The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness

Author: Lori Schiller

Genre: Memoir 

Length: 288 pages 

Published: 1996

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) At seventeen Lori Schiller was the perfect child -- the only daughter of an affluent, close-knit family. Six years later she made her first suicide attempt, then wandered the streets of New York City dressed in ragged clothes, tormenting voices crying out in her mind. Lori Schiller had entered the horrifying world of full-blown schizophrenia. She began an ordeal of hospitalizations, halfway houses, relapses, more suicide attempts, and constant, withering despair. But against all odds, she survived. Now in this personal account, she tells how she did it, taking us not only into her own shattered world, but drawing on the words of the doctors who treated her and family members who suffered with her. 

In this new edition, Lori Schiller recounts the dramatic years following the original publication -- a period involving addiction, relapse, and ultimately, love and recovery.

Moving, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting, THE QUIET ROOM is a classic testimony to the ravages of mental illness and the power of perserverance and courage.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Lori Schiller was a smart, outgoing and perfect child. Then one day she began to hear voices in her head. They told her hurtful things, told her to kill herself, kill others, etc. She spent many years in and out of hospitals before she finally accepted that she was ill and was able to rise above her illness. 

This was a powerful book. It gave a view into the depths of Lori's illness from not only her perspective, but that of family, friends, and psychiatrists. I really enjoyed reading various people's perspectives on Lori's illness and treatments, including Lori's own. Mental illness is something that is so often not talked about, and yet is so very important for people to try to understand. I definitely recommend this book for those interested in a good memoir about schizophrenia. 

You can purchase The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Neglected but Undefeated: The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother's Love by Jonathan Anthony Burkett

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Title: Neglected but Undefeated: The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother's Love

Author: Jonathan Anthony Burkett

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Biography

Length: 294 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Jonathan Anthony Burkett Publications

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) This book is surprising, dramatic, unbelievable, heartbreaking expressions said and done. One young man going through trials and tribulations, feeling unloved, unwanted, never needed, and unexpected, from a lady that he had finally understood was his true mother. The one he was told loved him the most in the world no matter what she does and says to him. Growing up and feeling like there was and cannot be any future and purpose for him because he felt and was being told that he could die and day to come. For reasons of that he couldn't control his feelings and seizures that were occurring because of the hatred he felt towards him from the one that loved him the most in this world.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. 

This is a heartbreaking but very uplifting memoir. As a mother, I could never imagine looking at my son and hating him, much less harming him. The fact that Jonathan was able to eventually rise above his mother's abuse and work on making himself better makes this one of the most uplifting memoirs I've read. 

The beginning seemed choppy to me and at first I didn't think I cared for the author's writing style, but as he continued to tell his story, the writing seemed to grow with him. He started with a very "in-your-face" first chapter, before delving into how he came to be in that situation. Every time he wrote about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, I felt my heart break for him. 

He overcame so many challenges in his youth that I truly hope Mr. Burkett will go on to do great things. 

You can purchase Neglected but Undefeated: The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother's Love through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Neglected but Undefeated: The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother's Love? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Fiona Carnarvon

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Title: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Author: Fiona Carnarvon

Genre: Non-Fiction: British History, Biography

Length: 310 pages

Published: 2011

Publisher: Broadway

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war. 

Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home. Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman.

This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I must admit that the idea of writing a non-fiction book review is a little daunting to me. Unlike with fiction, I can't really discuss why I think the author chose a certain setting or plot point to happen, because, well, this is a true account. So please bear with me and I hope this isn't as difficult to write as I keep thinking it will be. 

I did enjoy Lady Almina quite a bit. I found it to be a fast, easy read. It's less of a biography about Almina, than it is a history of Highclere Castle during her time there as Countess. Part of the time it seemed to be more about Almina, since it would follow her to the work she did in London during WWI, as well as her trips to Egypt with her husband. Other times it seemed to be all about Highclere. It flowed well between the two, but I felt like more time could have been spent talking about Almina after her husband died and she left Highclere. A little more than a rushed "she remarried and dealt with a lawsuit involving her new husband's first wife". I felt like the conclusion was really lacking because of this.

I loved the parts which spoke about how the estate was run. I found it fascinating to learn about the amount of staff was needed to properly run such a large estate. It was also interesting to see the changes Almina made with the house in order to nurse wounded soldiers during WWI. 

I haven't watched the show, Downton Abbey, as of yet, but I definitely will be watching it to see how much they drew on Almina Carnarvon's for the character Cora Crawley. I definitely recommend this book, whether you are a Downton Abbey fan or simply into history.

You can purchase Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.