Tragedies and Triumphs Audios

When horrific things happen, how a person responds can make a difference in the rest of one's life. In this collection, learn how some individuals triumphed in the face of unspeakable tragedies.

In her early days of learning, Anne and Helen worked outside.

When her mother (Fantine) dies, a young girl named Cosette has no parents.

After Helen understood that things had names - and she could learn those names from her teacher's finger-spelling - her vocabulary grew.

Vacationing with her family in the mountains near Tuscumbia, Helen experienced the joys of childhood: riding a pony, hunting for persimmons and explor...

Anne Sullivan, a young teacher with her own vision problems, arrived at the Keller home in early March of 1887.

Samuel Gompers was head of the AFL union when he gave a speech in support of America's involvement in World War I.

Until she was nearly seven, Helen could not communicate with anyone except by her own sign language.

When she was 11, Helen wrote a story she thought was her own, and "The Frost King" was published by the director of the Perkins Institute.

At the age of seven, Helen Keller experienced her first real Christmas.

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