“Historian Nielsen focuses attention on Macy’s troubled beginnings, her own devastating eye ailments, and her prodigious ambition to create a considerate yet equitable biography of a complex woman whose singular contributions to the burgeoning field of education for the blind have often been misjudged.” “…succeeds admirably….Macy’s complexity is revealed…essential reading for those interested in Macy or Keller.” “After writing two books about Helen Keller, historian Nielsen (The Radical Lives of Helen Keller) vowed she ‘would never again write anything even remotely related to her.’ Fortunately, she couldn't help herself.” “Exhaustively researched and not always complimentary, Beyond the Miracle Worker goes way beyond all the stuff you read in school about the complicated, headstrong woman who gave Helen Keller words…Using documents and diaries, author Kim E. Nielsen offers the sometimes heartbreaking, often frustrating life and work of Anne Sullivan Macy… If a biography is on your reading to-do list this summer, Beyond the Miracle Worker is a worthy one for you. Grab this book and learn a thing or two.” “Kim Nielsen overcomes all the obstacles her recalcitrant subject throws in her path, and creates a portrait of Sullivan's life that is complex with all its contradictions and inconsistencies. Beyond the Miracle Worker also serves as an example to other historians of disability to mine the records of institutions like Tewksbury for other untold stories of disabled lives. Even while Sullivan's was a singular life, Nielsen puts it in the context of nineteenth and early twentieth century American culture, highlighting the intricate interplay between gender, class and disability that shaped it.”
“Kim Nielsen’s engaging and excellently researched new biography of Anne Sullivan Macy and her relationship with Helen Keller reveals unknown shadows and contradictory facets of their lives.” “Now, in Beyond the Miracle Worker, Nielsen further revises the Keller-Sullivan narrative by placing the teacher at center stage. She portrays Sullivan Macy as a complex, deeply troubled woman who needed Helen Keller at least as much as Keller needed her…Drawing lavishly upon letters, diaries, and other primary sources, Nielsen conveys the rich texture of Sullivan’s character.” “Nielsen has written a very humanizing story . . .”

Quotes
"Fascinating and beautifully crafted, Beyond the Miracle Worker reinterprets Macy's life, challenging the mythology of her work with Helen Keller to reveal a powerful, rich, and surprising personal story. . . . Conveying the complexity and humanity of Macy and her world, this is an appealing biography for general readers and scholars alike."
—Susan Burch author of Signs of Resistance: American Deaf Community History, 1900 to World War II

"How remarkable it is to learn about the complicated, flesh-and-blood person behind the feisty legend at the water pump. Kim Nielsen's biography reveals so much about one of the greatest teachers of all time, and her compassionate and honest writing made my heart go out to Annie Sullivan."
—Rachel Simon, author of Riding The Bus With My Sister

"Rejecting hagiography, Nielsen offers a complex portrait of the woman Helen Keller called 'Teacher.' Especially interesting are Nielsen's reflections on Sullivan's own vision impairment and her lifelong struggle to support herself. It's time we all move beyond the sentimental trope of the 'miracle worker' as we consider the actual predicaments of those who care for and instruct people with disabilities."BR> —Ralph James Savarese, author of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption

"Kim Nielsen's absorbing biography of Anne Sullivan Macy not only captures the complexity of Sullivan's character, but also offers fresh insights into her relationship with her famous pupil. Thoroughly researched, persuasive, and readable, Beyond the Miracle Worker is both a compelling story and an important contribution to women's history and the history of the disabled."
—Elisabeth Gitter, author of The Imprisoned Guest: Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, the Original Deaf-Blind Girl

"Nielsen's engaging and comprehensive account of Annie Sullivan reveals a woman of great intellect and complexity who overcame many challenges in her own right. This book will irrevocably change what you thought you knew about the 'Helen-Annie' story."
—Judith Heumann, Disability Rights Advocate and former U.S. Assistant Secretary Department of Education

"This is a remarkable story of a vulnerable woman in a culture that allowed women neither freedom nor power. Still, somehow Anne, an almost blind orphan living in a poorhouse, managed to secure an education and carve out an independent life for herself and her student, Helen Keller. Anne Sullivan Macy is a feminist hero and this fine book teaches us that."
—Mary Pipher, author of Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World