The story begins with Keller's childhood, before she lost her sight and hearing at the age of 19 months due to an illness. She describes the isolation and frustration she felt as she struggled to communicate with the world around her.The book then moves on to Keller's education, which was made possible by the arrival of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. With Sullivan's help, Keller learned to communicate through finger-spelling and eventually through speech. Keller went on to attend college and became a well-known author and public speaker.