Seeing Eye Girl

A Memoir of Madness, Resilience, and Hope

By: Beverly J. Armento

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

As the “Seeing Eye Girl” for her blind, artistic, and mentally ill mother, Beverly Armento was intimately connected with and responsible for her, even though her mother physically and emotionally abused her. She was Strong Beverly at school—excellent in academics and mentored by caring teachers—but at home she was Weak Beverly, cowed by her mother’s rage and delusions.

Beverly’s mother regained her sight with two corneal transplants in 1950 and went on to enjoy a moment of fame as an artist, but these positive turns did nothing to stop her disintegration into her delusional world of communists, radiation, and lurking Italians. To survive, Beverly had to be resilient and hopeful that better days could be ahead. But first, she had to confront essential ethical issues about her caregiving role in her family.

In this emotional memoir, Beverly shares the coping strategies she invented to get herself through the trials of her young life, and the ways in which school and church served as refuges over the course of her journey. Breaking the psychological chains that bound her to her mother would prove to be the most difficult challenge of her life—and, ultimately, the most liberating one.

©2022 Beverly J. Armento (P)2022 Beverly J. Armento

An extremely powerful story!

Here are a few quick thoughts on this 5 star review.
Seeing Eye Girl is an inspirational story that is masterfully written. This extremely powerful told story of a young girl surviving in a poor dysfunctional family. I promise you will not be disappointed if you select this book. We need more teachers today with the same drive and determination of Beverly. This book will surprise you!

Loved the honesty of the author!

This is great listen. The story is heartbreaking but ultimately shows the strength of the author.

Engaging story of overcoming extreme adversity

"Seeing Eye Girl" engaged this listener from the 'get-go' into the life of a teenager, fraught with family poverty, untreated mental illness and physical abuse. But, by the end, I realized that it is not a sad saga. The author describes triumphs, i.e., how this young woman overcame year's of adversity by loving her teachers and learning; embracing mentors who guided along her way; and developing tremendous tenacity and resiliency. The adult woman of this story has succeeded...positively impacting many educational arenas, multiple adult educators like myself, and diverse communities of learners.
In addition, the book's language is lyrical and emotional, as delivered by narrator Ezzo and enhanced the listening experience.

Gripping, yet hard to take in

This is the second work I’ve read lately that has to do with mistreatment of children by parents and society’s inability to respond. The first was set in the Great Depression. This was post-WWII.

The accounts of the mother being treated by medical professionals and showcased by nonprofits was almost unbelievable vis a vis the madness that no one caught on to.

The role of the teachers was positive and they led to the writer’s resilience. I was waiting on a divine intervention and it had to come from inside the heroine. Maybe that’s the point of resilience??

The book was gripping and I kept listening. The performance by the reader was strong.

Great story about perseverance

This book will move you to tears, make you laugh and cry as well as make you mad. It is a testament to the author’s perseverance and proves you don’t always know what is going on behind closed doors.

What a powerful story

Can’t think of a better name for this memoir. It is definitely a story of madness, resilience, and hope. So well written. How Beverly survived physically and mentally is amazing, but how she rose above and encouraged others is beyond my comprehension. A must read for all, especially teachers.