Kimberly Elkins

Set during the 1830s and 1880s, the novel tells the story of a severely disabled young woman, blind, deaf, mute, without sense of smell or taste, who learns to speak through touch, learns to read through touch, has a strong personality that constantly chafes against the people around her who see her in turn as an experiment, a charity case, but also as a friend and lover. She trains Annie who becomes Helen Keller's teacher, and without her Helen Keller would have had an even harder time. An impressive novel, giving perspectives of Laura, of her guardian, his wife Julia Howe, and Laura's main teacher.… (mere)

Hm.  I'm not much for historical fiction, but this seemed very well done.  Good author's note.  Engaging.  Reminds me a lot of Tracy Chevalier's books in tone and re' the focus on sexuality.  Not too high a yuck factor - Laura actually had a better life than many women of the time, and, in fact, it's possible she would have had a worse life if she'd grown up with her senses, with her family, and then married some random lout.  But that's not the point... the point is that Elkins believes (with good reason) that Laura had a rich and interesting inner life, and that it's good for readers to realize that.… (mere)