Customer Reviews

Taking Hold: My Journey Into Blindness

5 star:		(3)
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Sally Hobart Alexander touched the lives of twenty-four reluctant readers in a Connecticut high school English class. My class spent much of this spring exploring a variety of human challenges. Alexander's book was one of our sources, and the class was completely consumed by her story. The author drives home the idea that her loss of sight was the beginning of a powerful and personal journey that took her to the edge of human discovery. Never maudlin or self-indulgent, Alexander stares adversity square in its frightening face and wins! The book is a celebration of love and hope, and both students and teachers were inspired.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. The author, who became blind as an adult, writes honestly and movingly about adjusting to life as a blind woman in a sighted world. The reading level is written for grades 7-12, but adults would also enjoy reading this autobiography.

I wish the author would publish a new edition of this book and combine it with her second autobiography, which was published two years later, in 1997. The sequel, which I read first, made far more sense once I was able to locate this book - Taking Hold: My Journey Into Blindness, which is out of print and difficult to find.

Sally Hobart Alexander touched the lives of twenty-four reluctant readers in a Connecticut high school English class. My class spent much of this spring exploring a variety of human challenges. Alexander's book was one of our sources, and the class was completely consumed by her story. The author drives home the idea that her loss of sight was the beginning of a powerful and personal journey that took her to the edge of human discovery. Never maudlin or self-indulgent, Alexander stares adversity square in its frightening face and wins! The book is a celebration of love and hope, and both students and teachers were inspired.