A Review of Friendships in the Dark: A Blind Woman’s Story of the People and Pets Who Light up her World

A Review of Friendships in the Dark: A Blind Woman’s Story of the People and Pets Who Light up her World

Braille Monitor
April 2015

(back) (contents) (next)

A Review of Friendships in the Dark: A Blind Woman’s Story of the People and Pets Who Light up her World
by Donna W. Hill
From the Editor: This book review was initially published on Goodreads and to Donna's blog at <http://donnawhill.com/2014/09/29/friendships-in-the-dark-by-phyllis-cam…;. Donna Hill is a member of our affiliate in Pennsylvania, and Phyllis Campbell is a member in Virginia. Here is Donna’s review:
When you read the subtitle of Friendships in the Dark, what do you think you'll be getting? Stories about great people? Great animals? If so, you would be correct; this book has awesome dogs, cats, and people in spades. It's an excellent read on so many levels—not the least of which is that it gives us a glimpse into the world of America's "Greatest Generation" from the perspective of someone who witnessed its realities as a child.
Each chapter begins with a quote—always a crowd-pleaser for me. My favorites are: one, "No one ever gets far, unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day," by Elbert Hubbard. Two, "Hope against hope, and ask till you receive," by James Montgomery. Three, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall," by Confucius.
If you stumbled over the part about a "blind woman," however, you may be wary, worried that you just don't want to read something that makes you feel sorry for someone's problems or that, whatever compensations that may have come into this woman's life, you would find small comfort in them. If that's the case, my sympathies, because you are woefully off base.
"I have never felt cheated of the rich beauty the world has to give," writes Campbell, who was born totally blind, "For as long as I can remember, I have reached out to the world around me, giving and taking all the good things life has to offer."
Friendships in the Dark is the story of exultant joy in the midst of life's challenges, the power of dedicated teachers, humor, and a casual honesty brought to life for the reader by a master writer. Campbell's prose is playful, happy without being sappy, poignant without being morose, a perfectly balanced view into the best of family, community, and the triumphant splendor of the human spirit.
Phyllis Campbell was a child living on a Virginia farm during WWII, the youngest of four children. It's a home filled with love, concern for a brother going off to war, and the determination of a mother that her girls were going to be successful and independent, despite what the neighbors think.
Yes, Phyllis wasn't the first blind kid in the family. Seven years her senior, Inez was also blind, and she teaches Phyllis Braille and awakens in her a love of reading that would guide her throughout her life.
When it's time for Phyllis to join her sister at Virginia's residential school for the blind, their older sister Fay gets a job there to be with them. Six-year-old Phyllis falls ill and experiences the problems that faced children needing procedures at a time when the doctors were overseas. Soon her father leaves the farm he loves and takes a job in town so the family can be closer. The cows and horses can't come, but can her parents bring young Phyllis's beloved dog and cat?
Campbell shows us dogs and cats like no one else can—how they interact differently with blind and deaf children, how they befriend mentally ill patients at the hospital where her father works, and how they purr and wag their way into even the most reluctant hearts.
This is the story of a young girl growing into a mature, loving, talented, and independent woman; the story of how music, flowers, and a dog bring that woman and the love of her life together; and the story of countless improbable but true ways that dogs and cats play vital roles in the lives of their people. It is also the story of how a guide dog named Leer gives a woman independence even as she loses sight of its true meaning.
There is sadness, but Phyllis is optimistic and confident from the beginning, largely protected from the humiliation, despair, and isolation many blind people experience. Her story is a reminder to those who have experienced it and an awakening to those who haven't of the incredible joy which is possible when we reach out to one another as equals, embrace family and community, and are reassured that, whether or not our prayers are answered, they are always heard.
Phyllis Campbell, a member of the NFB Writers' Division who writes two bi-monthly columns for the Our Special magazine (National Braille Press), serves as organist at Faith Lutheran Church in historic downtown Staunton, Virginia. She teaches piano and voice, specializing in Braille music.
Born in Amherst County, Virginia, Phyllis moved to Staunton at age seven. She is a graduate of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and went on to study at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Dunsmore Business College in Staunton. She took further courses from the Hadley School for the Blind (Winnetka, Illinois). In 1989 she received their Lifelong Learning Award. She has worked as a music teacher, peer counselor, computer tutor, and as youth transition coordinator.
Phyllis has been writing since the 60s. Her first novel was Come Home My Heart (Avalon Books, 1986). Friendships in the Dark (Brett Books, 1996), her memoir about growing up blind, was picked up by St. Martin's Press (1997) and translated into Chinese (Sea Breeze, China, 1998). Who Will Hear Them Cry? and A Place to Belong were self-published in 2012.
Her most recent release is the suspense novel Out of the Night (2014), available from Smashwords as electronic downloads in a variety of file types including .mobi (Kindle), .epub (Apple, Nook, Sony, etc.) and .rtf (accessible for readers with print disabilities): <https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/405450>. Or, find it on Amazon at <http://www.amazon.com/Out-The-Night-Phyllis-Campbell-ebook/dp/B00IA04IX…;. Come Home My Heart and Friendships in the Dark are available on BARD.

Media Share

// maxLength) {
twtTitle = twtTitle.substr(0, (maxLength - 3)) + '...';
}
var twtLink = 'http://twitter.com/home?status=' + encodeURIComponent(twtTitle + ' ' + twtUrl);
document.write('');
// ]]>

function fbs_click()
{
u=location.href;
t=document.title;
window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.twitter.com%2Fp…;);
return false;
}

(back) (contents) (next)