Helen Keller: A Determined Life chronicles the challenges and achievements that marked not only Keller’s life but also those of her teachers and aides. Author Elizabeth MacLeod breaks her subject’s life into 15 short chapters, each comprising one page of prose and another of well-annotated illustrations.These images, which include photographs, facsimiles of Keller’s handwriting and craftwork, and samples of Braille and American Sign Language, provide additional information as well as context to the main narrative.However, Barbara Spurll’s line drawings of Keller, in which she directly addresses the reader, seem cartoonish and out-of-place in this otherwise sophisticated text.

MacLeod adopts a straightforward style, rendering difficult concepts accessible and avoiding sentimentality or hagiography in her treatment of this iconic subject. Keller consequently comes across as a very human and engaging individual. She was a woman of incredible drive and ambition, whose accomplishments would be remarkable even for someone without disability, though she was also known as “Little Bronco” for her childhood tantrums. MacLeod also provides thumbnail biographies of the major figures in Keller’s life, including her teacher Annie Sullivan and assistant Polly Thomson; the book’s index allows for easy cross-referencing of these different topics. The combination here of formal biography and ample illustration distinguishes this book on Keller from the many others for children, and makes it a worthwhile addition to a classroom or library collection. Though it is aimed at readers up to the age of 12, the picture book format and brief chapters make it most suitable for eight- to 10-year-olds. An engaging and often poignant text, A Determined Life will be enjoyed for both research and pleasure reading.