Walking Free: The Nellie Zimmerman Story [Paperback]

Dr. Daryl C. Greene (Author), Rosezelle Boggs-Qualls (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 097008272X | ISBN-13: 978-0970082725 | Publication Date: October 29, 2001 | Edition: 1st ed

A biographical docudrama about the deaf and blind Nellie L. Zimmerman. After the death of her father, Nellie was committed to the Massillon State Mental Hospital at the age of 52. With no one on the staff trained in communicating with the deaf-blind, Nellie lived in silence for 19 years. She kept her mind sane by memorizing her Braille Bible and playing complicated math and word games in her head. She was finally discovered hiding under a bedsheet, finger spelling the Lord's Prayer. After she was released from the State Hospital in 1976, at the age of 71, she lived her life as if she were making up for lost time. With the help of her companion Emily Street, she attended Malone College, became a well-known lecturer throughout Northeast Ohio, and worked as a life skills instructor for deaf and deaf-blind boys. This inspiring true story will give you rare insight into the life of this amazing woman, who won many awards and was recognized by the Ohio State House of Representatives as an outstanding Ohioan.

Editorial Reviews

Review

an incredible story of the victory of the human spirit over what most of us would consider insurmountable circumstances. -- Palladium-Item, Richmond, IN, November 11, 2001

About the Author

A social worker for more than 30 years, Rosezelle Boggs-Qualls grew up in the coal mining town of Sunshine, Kentucky. Due to childhood diseases, she lost most of her hearing by the time she was nine. She graduated from Pine Mountain Settlement High School. At Wright State University, she received her Bachelor of Social Work Degree and pursued Graduate studies in Applied Behavioral Science. In 1946, she married William "Buck" Qualls, who is totally deaf. They now live in Canton, Ohio.

Dr. Daryl C. Greene is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and served churches in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin from 1983 to 1999. A graduate of Western Michigan University and Andover-Newton Theological School, he completed his doctoral studies at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Due to a rare and progressive neurological disease, he began to lose central vision by age six. By the time he graduated from High School, he was legally blind.He continues to lose vision and also has difficulty walking. He now lives in Richmond, Indiana, where he writes and speaks on how to cope with disabilities. He is also the author of the books "Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc" and "You Can Feel Better: How to Cope With and Overcome Chronic Pain and Physical Disabilities from a Holistic Christian Perspective."

Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Densmore-Reid Pubns; 1st ed edition (October 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097008272X
• ISBN-13: 978-0970082725
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,847,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful inspiring story, March 14, 2009

By 

Teresa J. Reasor (Corbin, Ky. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking Free: The Nellie Zimmerman Story (Paperback)

Rosezelle Boggs-Qualls and Dr Daryl C. Greene have penned a story of a human spirit that couldn't be distinquished by anything but death. I found the story compelling and touching. I cried at the injustices Nellie faced and her triumphs. The faith exhibited by both her, and the people who helped her escape her imprisonment from the institution and her isolation, was inspiring and humbling.
It was a rewarding read.
Congratulations to both authors.
Teresa Reasor
Author of Highland Moonlight
and Captive Hearts