Review: Miss Spitfire

Miss Spitfire

by Sarah Miller

Quote: " I've tried everything I know. I can't win her love- she won't have any caressing from me. I can't win her confidence because she accepts everything I do for her as a matter of course. There's no coaxing or compromising with her. She will or she won't, and that's the end of it. Sympathy, affection, and fairness mean nothing to her."- Annie Sullivan pg. 95

Started: April 13, 2012

Finished: April 16, 2012

hardcover

208pages

From the cover:

Annie Sullivan was little more than a half-blind orphan with a fiery tongue when she arrived at Ivy Green in 1887. Desperate for work, she'd taken on a seemingly impossible job-teaching a child who was deaf, blind, and as ferocious as any wild animal. But Helen Keller needed more than a teacher. She needed someone daring enough to work a miracle. And if anyone was a match for Helen, it was the girl they used to call Miss Spitfire.

  For Annie, reaching Helen's mind meant losing teeth as raging fists flew. It meant standing up when everyone else had given up. It meant shedding tears at the frustrations and at the triumphs. By telling this inspiring story from Annie Sullivan's point of view, Sarah Miller's debut novel brings an amazing figure to sharp new life. Annie's past, her brazen determination, and her connection to the girl who would call her Teacher have never been clearer.

My Review:

I loved that this book focused on Annie more than Helen. It gave a lot of her history and childhood that I personally had never heard or learned about. For me it was a new look at a great life and story. Now knowing more about Annie's history, I can understand her determination and her "take no crap" attitude. She truly is a survivor of her own fate and hardships. We all have a past we either will learn and grow from or give up and live in self-pity. Annie shows us that whether it was for selfish reasons, as in her need to be accepted, loved and feeling accomplished or that she truly did want to teach and grow as such, things can be done. She not only became a teacher, but also a friend, companion and spokesperson. She, along with Helen set a new bar for human capabilities no matter your physical, mental, or social limitations.

Sarah Miller did an amazing job in teaching us about Annie(Miss Spitfire)!

Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller