The Story of My Life recounts Helen Keller’s early years and education after an illness in infancy left her deaf and blind. Keller describes her frustration before learning a structured means of communication and the importance of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who introduced her to words through manual spelling. The book follows Keller’s growing understanding of language, her developing interest in reading and nature, and the challenges she faced in formal education.

Keller also describes her studies at schools for deaf students and her preparation for Radcliffe College. Alongside accounts of academic progress, she reflects on friendships, travel, books and the people who supported her education. The work presents education and communication as central to her increasing independence, while also documenting the practical barriers faced by a deafblind student at the turn of the 20th century.