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Cathy Wheeler #1
Light a Single Candle
When Cathy lost her sight at the age of fourteen, she faced a very different way of life. It took courage and alertness to explore a new, uncharted world where her other senses had to take over the work of her eyes. But adjusting to blindness was often easier than handling the reactions of people. One friend now avoided her. Another smothered Cathy with too much kindness. Then came the thrill of independence after completing a tough training course with Trudy, her wonderful guide dog. With her new freedom of movement, Cathy accepted the challenge of going back to public high school.
217 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
5 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Butler
21 books21 followersAlso known as
Beverly K. Olsen
Was married to Theodore Victor Olsen
Beverly was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a long time resident of Rhinelander. Beverly had planned to be an artist, but an impending blindness impelled her to learn typing in order to rejoin her high school class. For practice, she began typing remembered stories which led to her inventing stories.
In 1954, she graduated cum laude from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee where she wrote her first young novel, Song of the Voyager which later won Dodd Mead's
Seventeenth Summer Literary Competition. Beverly earned her M.A. Degree from Marquette University in 1961 and she returned to Mount Mary in 1962 to teach writing there until 1974. Beverly moved to Sun Prairie before marrying fellow Wisconsin author, Theodore Victor (T.V.) Olsen, and moving to Rhinelander in 1976. T V Olsen died in 1993 and she continued to live
in Rhinelander till her death in 2007 at the age of 75. She is survived by her niece and nephews. Her novel "Light a Single Candle" was based on her own experiences with blindness. The sequel was "Gift of Gold". She used her other senses and her brilliant imagination to create her vivid stories which are still enjoyed by her loyal readers today.
Sources
http://www.memorialsolutions.com/site...
http://underalilacbush.blogspot.in/20...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid...
Beverly K. Olsen
Was married to Theodore Victor Olsen
Beverly was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a long time resident of Rhinelander. Beverly had planned to be an artist, but an impending blindness impelled her to learn typing in order to rejoin her high school class. For practice, she began typing remembered stories which led to her inventing stories.
In 1954, she graduated cum laude from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee where she wrote her first young novel, Song of the Voyager which later won Dodd Mead's
Seventeenth Summer Literary Competition. Beverly earned her M.A. Degree from Marquette University in 1961 and she returned to Mount Mary in 1962 to teach writing there until 1974. Beverly moved to Sun Prairie before marrying fellow Wisconsin author, Theodore Victor (T.V.) Olsen, and moving to Rhinelander in 1976. T V Olsen died in 1993 and she continued to live
in Rhinelander till her death in 2007 at the age of 75. She is survived by her niece and nephews. Her novel "Light a Single Candle" was based on her own experiences with blindness. The sequel was "Gift of Gold". She used her other senses and her brilliant imagination to create her vivid stories which are still enjoyed by her loyal readers today.
Sources
http://www.memorialsolutions.com/site...
http://underalilacbush.blogspot.in/20...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 7, 2015
So this is another really old YA, and it's a good one. It feels like a precursor of sorts to Izzy, Willy Nilly. Cathy is a teen with glaucoma, and the surgery that's supposed to save her vision doesn't work. She's a newly blind teenager, and she's an artist. There are so many reactions: the awful woman from the State School for the Blind, the neighbor who tells Cathy's mother to put Cathy in an institution, the friend who drops her like a hot potato...
Cathy decides to go to the state school so she won't be pitied, and it's a miserable learning experience. The detail here is all too real; it takes all sorts to make a world, after all, and the staff and students at the school represent quite the spectrum. Cathy rebounds (mostly to spite Miss Creel) and gets Trudy. Trudy is great, and I love the pages that describe Cathy's month learning how to walk with a guide dog. And then Cathy starts high school, and meets Joan, who's a whole new kind of awful, and Steve, who's not awful at all, and Mary Beth, who's my favorite character.
And then there's Miss Vincent, who is an Awesome English Teacher. One day I'm going to make a list of all the great English teachers in novels. Miss Vincent's apology and her form of encouragement are this book's high point.
But really, this book is composed of high points, because it's so spectacular at documenting this enormously transitional year in Cathy's life.
Cathy decides to go to the state school so she won't be pitied, and it's a miserable learning experience. The detail here is all too real; it takes all sorts to make a world, after all, and the staff and students at the school represent quite the spectrum. Cathy rebounds (mostly to spite Miss Creel) and gets Trudy. Trudy is great, and I love the pages that describe Cathy's month learning how to walk with a guide dog. And then Cathy starts high school, and meets Joan, who's a whole new kind of awful, and Steve, who's not awful at all, and Mary Beth, who's my favorite character.
And then there's Miss Vincent, who is an Awesome English Teacher. One day I'm going to make a list of all the great English teachers in novels. Miss Vincent's apology and her form of encouragement are this book's high point.
But really, this book is composed of high points, because it's so spectacular at documenting this enormously transitional year in Cathy's life.
May 23, 2015
I swear to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I'm catching up on my reviews this month if it kills me.
(Okay, no. I love Goodreads and I'm all about meeting my book challenge, but I think death is a little drastic.)
I hereby aver that I'm going to try to catch up on my reviews, as long as the tasks I skip in order to do so are nonessential, like housecleaning and fretting.
(Much better.)
Okay: I reread this old childhood favorite a couple of months ago as a brain-break. It stands the test of time well – it was published in 1962. Which isn't all that long ago, but it's long enough that there are the occasional little awkward word choices. ("She supposed her nose must have been sniffing these odors for her all her life, otherwise she wouldn't recognize them so surely and easily, but until these past few days, she'd never paid much attention to them. It was queer." It actually wasn't at all. It was just kind of odd. These things happen.)
And of course there are technology quirks. This is way before books on tape, so when fourteen-year-old Cathy loses her vision, she has to get special equipment in order to be able to read. She learns Braille; but as everyone who's ever tried to read for pleasure without benefit of vision knows, recorded books are a lifesaver – much faster than bump-reading. So Cathy gets a "talking book machine" and the special records to go with it.
I remember all this equipment from a couple of decades ago, when I lived and worked in a home for severely disabled children. I was the only program aide there who liked to read, so I was the one who figured out that those records only worked on the talking book machine, which was basically a record player with a weird spinning speed. (I figured that out by trying those discs on my own little stereo. Amusing, but not exactly reading. But I digress.)
So, yes, this is a bit of a period piece – and yes, I feel weird saying that about a book published in the decade in which I was born. But the basic issues grappled with here are still of vital interest: namely, the tendency for the currently-able-bodied to feel deeply uncomfortable in the presence of the disabled, and for that discomfort to express itself in all sorts of offensive ways. Cathy's best friend Pete drops out of Cathy's life when she comes home sightless from what was supposed to be vision-saving surgery. A neighbor gushes over what she considers Cathy's newfound superpowers:
"Isn't Nature marvelous? Lose your sight, and, immediately, Nature sharpens the rest of your senses to where they're practically superhuman to compensate for it. It's a miracle that just seems to happen overnight!"
This same neighbor is equally adorable while speaking to Cathy's mother when she thinks Cathy is out of earshot, after Cathy and her younger brother have announced their intention to try riding their bikes together on their quiet street:
"Susan Wheeler, I don't see how you dare! If I had a child like that, I'd put her in an institution where she would be with her own kind, and I'd know she was safe and in trained hands. I wouldn't have the responsibility of keeping her at home."
Then there's Joan, the girl who offers "friendship" and assistance with Cathy's school-reading load, when what she really wants is the virtuous credit of being such a wonderful person – helping out that poor blind girl!
Cathy has enough to do coming to terms with what it means to be blind in a sighted world, especially when that means putting aside her cherished dreams of becoming an artist. She learns that it's just as much work to learn how not to go nuts from the condescension and general stupidity aimed her way by much of the sighted world.
Light a Single Candle is one of those YA books that's a terrific read for all ages. It feels like a modern classic, and I suppose it'll be considered a just-plain classic soon enough. Unlike many classics, this one's a lot of fun to read. If you haven't had the pleasure, treat yourself.
(Okay, no. I love Goodreads and I'm all about meeting my book challenge, but I think death is a little drastic.)
I hereby aver that I'm going to try to catch up on my reviews, as long as the tasks I skip in order to do so are nonessential, like housecleaning and fretting.
(Much better.)
Okay: I reread this old childhood favorite a couple of months ago as a brain-break. It stands the test of time well – it was published in 1962. Which isn't all that long ago, but it's long enough that there are the occasional little awkward word choices. ("She supposed her nose must have been sniffing these odors for her all her life, otherwise she wouldn't recognize them so surely and easily, but until these past few days, she'd never paid much attention to them. It was queer." It actually wasn't at all. It was just kind of odd. These things happen.)
And of course there are technology quirks. This is way before books on tape, so when fourteen-year-old Cathy loses her vision, she has to get special equipment in order to be able to read. She learns Braille; but as everyone who's ever tried to read for pleasure without benefit of vision knows, recorded books are a lifesaver – much faster than bump-reading. So Cathy gets a "talking book machine" and the special records to go with it.
I remember all this equipment from a couple of decades ago, when I lived and worked in a home for severely disabled children. I was the only program aide there who liked to read, so I was the one who figured out that those records only worked on the talking book machine, which was basically a record player with a weird spinning speed. (I figured that out by trying those discs on my own little stereo. Amusing, but not exactly reading. But I digress.)
So, yes, this is a bit of a period piece – and yes, I feel weird saying that about a book published in the decade in which I was born. But the basic issues grappled with here are still of vital interest: namely, the tendency for the currently-able-bodied to feel deeply uncomfortable in the presence of the disabled, and for that discomfort to express itself in all sorts of offensive ways. Cathy's best friend Pete drops out of Cathy's life when she comes home sightless from what was supposed to be vision-saving surgery. A neighbor gushes over what she considers Cathy's newfound superpowers:
"Isn't Nature marvelous? Lose your sight, and, immediately, Nature sharpens the rest of your senses to where they're practically superhuman to compensate for it. It's a miracle that just seems to happen overnight!"
This same neighbor is equally adorable while speaking to Cathy's mother when she thinks Cathy is out of earshot, after Cathy and her younger brother have announced their intention to try riding their bikes together on their quiet street:
"Susan Wheeler, I don't see how you dare! If I had a child like that, I'd put her in an institution where she would be with her own kind, and I'd know she was safe and in trained hands. I wouldn't have the responsibility of keeping her at home."
Then there's Joan, the girl who offers "friendship" and assistance with Cathy's school-reading load, when what she really wants is the virtuous credit of being such a wonderful person – helping out that poor blind girl!
Cathy has enough to do coming to terms with what it means to be blind in a sighted world, especially when that means putting aside her cherished dreams of becoming an artist. She learns that it's just as much work to learn how not to go nuts from the condescension and general stupidity aimed her way by much of the sighted world.
Light a Single Candle is one of those YA books that's a terrific read for all ages. It feels like a modern classic, and I suppose it'll be considered a just-plain classic soon enough. Unlike many classics, this one's a lot of fun to read. If you haven't had the pleasure, treat yourself.
January 14, 2013
This was my favorite book in 4th or 5th grade. I can't remember how many times I read it. Reading it again now.
Yes, I still like this book very much. It's not the same life-changing overwhelming love I remember from elementary school, but it's still a very good book.
Also, I don't remember crying when Cathy met Trudy or when they took that first solo trip around the block, but I did this time. It was a pleasure to watch Cathy adjust to her new life as well as begin the transformation from tomboy to young lady.
The book speaks to learning to know who you are and finding that confidence within yourself to tune out the detractors and do what you want. Go, Cathy!
Yes, I still like this book very much. It's not the same life-changing overwhelming love I remember from elementary school, but it's still a very good book.
Also, I don't remember crying when Cathy met Trudy or when they took that first solo trip around the block, but I did this time. It was a pleasure to watch Cathy adjust to her new life as well as begin the transformation from tomboy to young lady.
The book speaks to learning to know who you are and finding that confidence within yourself to tune out the detractors and do what you want. Go, Cathy!
February 2, 2020
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I remember selecting this book from the school library as a child because of the dog on the cover. The story of a young woman who loses her sight stayed with me, decades afterward.
Cathy initially elects to go to a state school for the blind, and the awfulness of the food and insensitivity of the teachers are worthy of Jane Eyre, Little Princess, with a splash of Girl, Interrupted. This being an early 60s teen novel, the girls are all hilariously boy-crazy. Cathy befriends the bad girl, and eventually leaves the school, frustrated with the limitations of its academics.
It's important to remember that this book was written many years ago, so many of the aspects of life living as someone who is blind, such as using a Braille stylus, have changed. Still, Butler offers an evocative portrait of a protagonist establishing an independent life, and the inappropriate nature of many people's reactions, spanning from the headmistress of the school for the blind who belittles Cathy to a budding SJW who attempts to lead Cathy around the mainstream school to increase her social status (with boys, of course).
The description of forging a partnership with a guide dog is still fascinating to me. Quite often in the media, it's portrayed as very easy and seamless with a trained dog. Butler, who was blind herself and included an author photo of herself with her own guide dog on the dust jacket, makes it clear it's a constant negotiation and learning experience (as with training any animal).
My only criticism is the description of how Cathy loses her sight seems very unrealistic. As other readers have observed, even in the 60s, it's unlikely that a high-risk operation would be simultaneously be performed on both eyes. Also, the parents seem a bit blase, saying that sometimes things go wrong with operations. I can understand Butler wishing to show parents who don't act like it's the end of the world when their child loses her sight, but their reaction feels contrived and cruel.
Still, Butler is an excellent writer and her own life is quite extraordinary. In a world where disability rights were not even a concept, she obtained her master's, became a successful author, and taught writing herself.
Cathy initially elects to go to a state school for the blind, and the awfulness of the food and insensitivity of the teachers are worthy of Jane Eyre, Little Princess, with a splash of Girl, Interrupted. This being an early 60s teen novel, the girls are all hilariously boy-crazy. Cathy befriends the bad girl, and eventually leaves the school, frustrated with the limitations of its academics.
It's important to remember that this book was written many years ago, so many of the aspects of life living as someone who is blind, such as using a Braille stylus, have changed. Still, Butler offers an evocative portrait of a protagonist establishing an independent life, and the inappropriate nature of many people's reactions, spanning from the headmistress of the school for the blind who belittles Cathy to a budding SJW who attempts to lead Cathy around the mainstream school to increase her social status (with boys, of course).
The description of forging a partnership with a guide dog is still fascinating to me. Quite often in the media, it's portrayed as very easy and seamless with a trained dog. Butler, who was blind herself and included an author photo of herself with her own guide dog on the dust jacket, makes it clear it's a constant negotiation and learning experience (as with training any animal).
My only criticism is the description of how Cathy loses her sight seems very unrealistic. As other readers have observed, even in the 60s, it's unlikely that a high-risk operation would be simultaneously be performed on both eyes. Also, the parents seem a bit blase, saying that sometimes things go wrong with operations. I can understand Butler wishing to show parents who don't act like it's the end of the world when their child loses her sight, but their reaction feels contrived and cruel.
Still, Butler is an excellent writer and her own life is quite extraordinary. In a world where disability rights were not even a concept, she obtained her master's, became a successful author, and taught writing herself.
November 5, 2014
Speaking of disability novels, this book about a teenage girl who loses her sight was MY JAM in 8th grade. The author actually lost her sight in high school, so take that, haters! I own the sequel Gift Of Gold, in which Cathy the blind girl pursues a career in speech pathology. Maybe it's time to actually read it.
August 4, 2009
This is an old favorite of 70's YA that I found for a quarter and decided to re-read. It stands up surprisingly well; dated in its environment, but not enormously in its attitude. I love when she goes to the guide dog training and meets the housewife and the college professor who are also blind and clearly independent even without having guide dogs yet.
It's also where I learned about the LOC services for the blind, which are happily still in existence, although also happily no longer provided solely on records.
It's also where I learned about the LOC services for the blind, which are happily still in existence, although also happily no longer provided solely on records.
August 17, 2008
This is a book directed at young adults. I had read it in the 1970's and enjoyed it, but needed to read it again to decide on my rating. When I first started it I realized it was well-written, but I was looking at it as a book for teens. As I got into the book, I began to agonize with Cathy through her experience at the school for the blind and through the stifling of her seeming friend. When we begin to feel for the main character, then we cross over into liking a book, I think.
December 29, 2009
I read this DECADES ago, but have thought of it many times since. This tells of the challenges a teenager faces as she loses her sight and struggles to adapt. It gave me a greater empathy for the blind, and a greater appreciation for my own sight.
March 5, 2009
It helped me understand a bit about what blind people go through on a daily basis. This helped later in life when I actually produced a play written by blind author, Lynn Manning.
April 22, 2025
I actually loved this! Such an interesting disability classic that is both revolutionary and with its own prejudices. I want to write essays on it!
February 17, 2013
Cathy Wheeler's hard struggle through blindness is absolutely inspirational. Her story does not ask for pity; we understand her realistic worries and growing-up distresses. Cathy is an intelligent girl on the brink of becoming a woman, and her childlike and playful attitude in the beginning contrasts with her growing relationships with different characters in the end. Through Cathy's journey, we feel the ache she feels at the loss of her former "normal" life and her uneasiness with her new life as a blind student. She loses hope at one time, but regains it, knowing that her blindness shouldn't be a hindrance. Her eventual joys inspire happiness upon readers, but her conflict of living with the condition she can't bear to even pronounce still endures. Yet we know that such a strong-willed character will adapt and achieve great things.
The message of the book mirrors the statement of trying hard and never giving up. I would truly recommend this book to people looking for a book documenting the realistic battle between pessimism and hopefulness of a very real cirucmstance.
The message of the book mirrors the statement of trying hard and never giving up. I would truly recommend this book to people looking for a book documenting the realistic battle between pessimism and hopefulness of a very real cirucmstance.
April 22, 2011
Read many times as a kid. First read as an adult--will it hold up?
And it did! My feelings were luke-warm for the first half of the book, and I almost couldn't remember why I loved it so much (well, other than the fact that I've always had a fascination with Tragedy or Big Illnesses or whatever).
But then I got to the part where Cathy decides to get a guide dog. And my love for this book came flooding back. Trudy is awesome! Joan is hysterical! And Steve is dreamy.
Ultimatley, very satisfying and I stayed up far too late last night finishing it. Must check out the sequel--no idea if I read it as a kid or not.
And it did! My feelings were luke-warm for the first half of the book, and I almost couldn't remember why I loved it so much (well, other than the fact that I've always had a fascination with Tragedy or Big Illnesses or whatever).
But then I got to the part where Cathy decides to get a guide dog. And my love for this book came flooding back. Trudy is awesome! Joan is hysterical! And Steve is dreamy.
Ultimatley, very satisfying and I stayed up far too late last night finishing it. Must check out the sequel--no idea if I read it as a kid or not.
April 4, 2013
What a refreshing change from Follow My Leader, which I finished a few days ago. This is a much fuller very real character. Good story, real issues and real solutions. This author lost her sight and I think her insights really helped make this book real. I liked it a lot.
October 10, 2007
Inspiring and "real" without being maudlin. I especially like the assumption-bashing portion at the boarding school for the blind.
January 8, 2024
This is a re-read of a one of my favorite books when I was a teenager. I'm glad I took the time to read it again, I always enjoy it.
July 1, 2020
I bought this book at a Bookfair in Manila. If I remembered correctly it was 2014, and boy, it’s already 2020. Sorry Beverly Butler for making you wait but today I can finally say I have read it, and it was my 11th book for this year’s reading challenge. I was very interested with this book mainly because of the cover as I am a dog person myself. I haven’t heard of this book ever, so I literally have no idea what to expect from this book.
As I flip through the pages, I am reminded of the pricks that I met in grade school, people who pretended to be your friend, girls who spread false information about you for the sole reason of getting back at you because the guy that they like seems to take a second look at you. Teachers, who were supposed to motivate you to be better but instead, continuously underestimated your capabilities until all you can think of are the negative things they throw at you. It takes you back to the darkest moments of your childhood/ teenage years you thought you already forgot, but still seems to linger.
The story of Cathy Wheeler, is unlike your typical young adult novels. At a young age of 14, she lost her sight and was forced to give up her dream to become an artist. With the intention of proving she will not be a burden to anyone, she went through a lot. Burton Academy for the Blind, Francine’s and Georgie’s, Earl Lee, let us not forget the great Joan Norton, and Miss Creel. With the support of her family and friends she found along the way, and her marvelous guide dog, Trudy, she was able to surmount all of it.
This book is a 0 to 100 type, where at first you would not expect it to grow on you but as the story progresses, you find yourself deeply connected with the plot and the characters. The only thing that I find odd in this book is the way it is very predictable in every struggle; you already know that Cathy will be able to surpass it. It was a short book, so I think that is one of the main reasons why the conflicts were cut shorter than they should be. But still, I appreciate that the plot did not stick to only one antagonist, or a certain event but instead it was a taste of everything.
Since the author herself has gone through the same experience, the readers’ journey through this book was as real as it should be without being romanticized. At the end of this book, I found myself contemplating and applying the realizations of Cathy into my personal undertakings. And I think that is one of the powers of a good book. It will make you think about more than what it really is. Very unexpected, but surely as I grow older, I will think back to the time I read this book, reminded of one Cathy Wheeler.
As I flip through the pages, I am reminded of the pricks that I met in grade school, people who pretended to be your friend, girls who spread false information about you for the sole reason of getting back at you because the guy that they like seems to take a second look at you. Teachers, who were supposed to motivate you to be better but instead, continuously underestimated your capabilities until all you can think of are the negative things they throw at you. It takes you back to the darkest moments of your childhood/ teenage years you thought you already forgot, but still seems to linger.
The story of Cathy Wheeler, is unlike your typical young adult novels. At a young age of 14, she lost her sight and was forced to give up her dream to become an artist. With the intention of proving she will not be a burden to anyone, she went through a lot. Burton Academy for the Blind, Francine’s and Georgie’s, Earl Lee, let us not forget the great Joan Norton, and Miss Creel. With the support of her family and friends she found along the way, and her marvelous guide dog, Trudy, she was able to surmount all of it.
This book is a 0 to 100 type, where at first you would not expect it to grow on you but as the story progresses, you find yourself deeply connected with the plot and the characters. The only thing that I find odd in this book is the way it is very predictable in every struggle; you already know that Cathy will be able to surpass it. It was a short book, so I think that is one of the main reasons why the conflicts were cut shorter than they should be. But still, I appreciate that the plot did not stick to only one antagonist, or a certain event but instead it was a taste of everything.
Since the author herself has gone through the same experience, the readers’ journey through this book was as real as it should be without being romanticized. At the end of this book, I found myself contemplating and applying the realizations of Cathy into my personal undertakings. And I think that is one of the powers of a good book. It will make you think about more than what it really is. Very unexpected, but surely as I grow older, I will think back to the time I read this book, reminded of one Cathy Wheeler.
March 15, 2024
In a Spanish conversation class, we were asked to talk about a book that we had loved as children. I randomly thought of this, which I read at the age of 10. It’s a horribly written story of a 15-year-old girl, who loses her vision, and eventually gets seeing eye dog. I was so ruptured by the notion of having a dog who could go everywhere with me that I fantasized about losing my vision.
Cannot recommend it as literature, but is there any connection to the fact that I now train future service dogs?
Cannot recommend it as literature, but is there any connection to the fact that I now train future service dogs?
October 1, 2020
Read this in 1967 at age 14 and wrote in my diary: "It is about a girl, 14, who becomes blind, goes to a blind school, doesn't like it, so goes to public high school with her guide dog, Trudy. It's a great story. And interesting."
April 5, 2014
After being plagued with poor eyesight for years, fourteen year old Cathy Wheeler is excited to hear that there is a surgery which may be able to correct her problem. But after the bandages are removed, Cathy is left sightless. Adjusting to high school is hard enough without trying to adjust to her new condition. But after a semester at the blind school, she opts to get a seeing eye dog which promises to return to her the independence she misses so much. With the help of Trudy, Cathy returns to the public school in her town. The story tells of her struggles and triumphs as she adapts to her new life.
This is an older book which was first published in the 1960s. But the story is enduring and as endearing now as it was when it was first written. This is definitely a book which I want to have on my shelf in my classroom and that could easily be taught to any grade or reading level. I highly recommend this book.
This is an older book which was first published in the 1960s. But the story is enduring and as endearing now as it was when it was first written. This is definitely a book which I want to have on my shelf in my classroom and that could easily be taught to any grade or reading level. I highly recommend this book.
April 6, 2016
As I've finally got my hands on the sequel, a reread of Light a Single Candle was in order. Cathy is 14 and loses her sight to glaucoma. She had surgery to save what sight she had (would have been able to read print with a magnifying glass), and woke with no sight at all. I remember being fascinated by her story, and it was engrossing this time as well. Because she'd had sight, her brain still made pictures of her surroundings, so much so that she would sometimes forget she wasn't really seeing. I love being able to read about the talking book records from the Library of Congress, and the process of learning to read and write Braille.
Her adjustment to her new life, and her feelings and attitudes about blindness and what blind people are capable of, all feel very real and relevant still today. Highly recommend this book.
Her adjustment to her new life, and her feelings and attitudes about blindness and what blind people are capable of, all feel very real and relevant still today. Highly recommend this book.
March 10, 2012
Always has been one of my favorites, and I have read the sequel many times as well (Gift of Gold). This book was and is still inspirational to me. And I have always taken to heart the advice "to light a single candle." Life presents challenges to all of us, and to remember to approach them one step at a time is a feat. Cathy's struggles were always very real to me, though I'm not blind. Beverly Butler is a very evocative writer, as well.
October 13, 2012
The eyes of young Cathy are going blind. She attends a school for the blind where the people and place are not so nice, and then goes to a training where she gets her dog Trudy. Going back to public school proves to be a challenge but Cathy meets the challenge. I have a hard time reading books like this because it's scary, but it is very well-written and very positive. There is little if any dwelling on losing her sight. There is mostly dwelling on how to overcome obstacles.
October 26, 2015
The concept of slowly losing one's sight at a young age is daunting. Butler handles the traumatic story with grace and humor, bringing in the absolute awesomeness of the guide dog services. The training with the dog, the integration of the dog into the real world, and the ease, or lack thereof, with which the duo returns to normal life is all vividly portrayed. Be sure to also read the sequel (name escapes me), as well as Butler's autobiographical tale of life with her own guide dogs.
February 25, 2010
This book stayed with me for a very long time when I read it in my youth. It's about a 14 year old girl who loses her sight and how she deals with it. If I ever come across a copy, I will snatch it up and reread it.
Feb 2010 - I just reread it after finding a copy at alibris.com and I still love it!
Feb 2010 - I just reread it after finding a copy at alibris.com and I still love it!
August 13, 2008
Dated, but great! Set in the early 60's, this is the semi-autobiographical story of a young teenage girl who loses her sight to glaucoma. As she learns to cope with her sudden blindness, she mainstreams into her local high school, and eventually her parents purchase a guide dog for her. I have read this many times, and it still rings true, despite the generation gap.
July 26, 2012
It is completely heartbreaking when Cathy loses her sight and her whole life changes. I became absorbed the minute I started. Because it is an older book it took me completely by surprise with the way it grabs the reader by making them travel a the world through the eyes of a blind woman. Overall one of the most impacting books I have ever read.
January 17, 2013
I read this as a teenager and remember what a great book it was. Now that my sons are visually impaired, I would like to read it again and get a feel for what they are going through. I just saw a review for "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" and thought of this book. I am going to see if my library has both of them along with "Lisa, Bright and Dark".
May 4, 2014
Like many others have commented, I read and re-read this book numerous times in my youth. Very much gave me an insight to those who are blind and to this day, I am aware of those who are blind and ready to offer assistance - my friends feel bad because they are not even noticing the individual when I do. Thanks, Ms. Butler for making adding that little facet to my character.
March 18, 2021
I read this book about Cathy's sudden loss of sight and gradually learning how to cope with her blindness repeatedly during grade school.
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January 5, 2008
Another deeply moving book that felt true to me as a child. It's the story of a 14 year old girl who loses her sight and how she learns to adjust to her new world. The author is blind and writes very engagingly of the real struggles she faces.
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