Haben

The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law

By: Haben Girma

Narrated by: Haben Girma

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

The incredible life story of Haben Girma, the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, and her amazing journey from isolation to the world stage.

Haben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she discovered courage as she faced off against a bull she couldn't see, and found in herself an abiding strength as she absorbed her parents' harrowing experiences during Eritrea's 30-year war with Ethiopia. Their refugee story inspired her to embark on a quest for knowledge, traveling the world in search of the secret to belonging. She explored numerous fascinating places, including Mali, where she helped build a school under the scorching Saharan sun. Her many adventures over the years range from the hair-raising to the hilarious.

Haben defines disability as an opportunity for innovation. She learned non-visual techniques for everything from dancing salsa to handling an electric saw. She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities.

Haben takes listeners through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at the White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating memoir is a testament to one woman's determination to find the keys to connection.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Haben Girma (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"What makes Haben's prodigious story even more remarkable is that she's not satisfied with being inspiring. Because she knows that achievement only happens when there is more than the support of individual extraordinary people, she pushes institutions and leaders in the academy, the government, and in big tech to widen the corridors of power and opportunity. Her intersectional approach to her work as an advocate for the disabled and as a Deafblind daughter of refugees refuses tokenization and demands true inclusion." (dream hampton, award-winning filmmaker, writer, and organizer)

"A stirring memoir of love and resilience. Haben proves there are no limits for living joyously in the world. A fierce, glorious advocate for equal opportunity, she demonstrates that accessibility for all benefits all. Her memoir is a soul-inspiring gift." (Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times best-selling author of Ghost Boys)

"With wit and passion, Haben, a disability rights lawyer, public speaker, and the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law, takes readers through her often unaccommodating world...This is a heartwarming memoir of a woman who champions access and dignity for all." (Publishers Weekly)

A must read

this is a story that hits home for me as a visually impaired woman of color in America.I love Haben"s story and her humour. I am grateful for this book to have been available in an audio format. What a gift for the world to be able to learn from such a beautifully narrated and descriptive account from Haben.

You will love her, too

This book will help you understand the challenges that disabled people experience in navigating through life. They don’t ask for a break, only an opportunity.

Haben: An inspiration to all

In the hundreds of books I have read, I hesitate to write reviews because I felt that the star system speaks for itself. Five Stars: Outstanding Work, translation: Must Read. While this is no different, I recently met the author at the Public Library Association Conference in Nashville, TN and I knew there was so much more to her story than what she shared on that stage. I was right and this book helped me to understand how ordinary people can open up the world that we enjoy to differently abled individuals.

Excellent Next Level Thinking!!!

I just finished listening to the audible and I’m going to listen to it again😊👍🏾💯

Go Haben!

Great insite into struggles of the death blind community and the power to overcome. Having two young grandsons with ushers syndrome it helped me understand how to best help and guide them in the future. It gave me a better appreciation for the disabled community in general.

At the beginning of the book I did not think I was going to be able to finish due to Haben's high pitch narration. but understanding why her speech was that way made me want to struggle through and I'm so glad I did! Seemed a small price to pay after everything Haben had to endure in her life!

Incredible storytelling

This book is amazing! It’s full of sweet and hilarious stories. It’s a great book that everyone should read. And Maxine is precious!

Fascinating and educational

Loved that Haben read the book. I feel like I got to know the author a bit. I learned a lot about what it means to be inclusive. Thank you, Haben!

The vivid imagery leaps drags you in to the story

This story of Haben Girma is inspiring. Barely in her thirties, she became a attorney, civil rights advocate, scholar, and world traveler. She has dined with celebrities and world leaders, has fought since she was a teen for the disenfranchised, and has an unmatched since of adventure. Oh by the way, she accomplished all of the awe-inspiring things while being legally deaf and blind.

Reading this book makes you laugh and can even jerk a few tears out. She paints pictures of the world from a unique perspective and conveys the loneliness and isolation that can come with confronting ableism in the world.

Once you start listening you will not be able to stop. This is a must listen (or read).

Extremely Inspiring

I have my own disability.
I have dyslexia all my life.
the reason why I get audio because I have a hard time reading. I am so grateful inspired and motivated just by listening this audio.
Thank you so much, for your incredible work you do God bless
💝👏👏👏🤗🙏

Deafblind Woman Conquering Harvard Law? I'm in!

"Somehow, someway, I'm going to create a community of people who believe that disability itself is not a barrier; the biggest barriers are social, physical, and digital."
This book spoke to so many things I never thought about, or knew a little about but really didn't understand.