Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille

By Russell Freedman

Out of Darkness tells the amazing story of a young man named Louis Braille.  Louis Braille became blind at the age of four and, several years later, was admitted to a school for blind boys.  The only means available for the blind to read was embossed with the regular alphabet.  These books were very expensive and heavy, and did not make it possible for blind people to write.  Louis worked hard at developing a new alphabet for the blind that could be read and written easily.  It took many years for Louis and his supporters to convince the French government to officially adopt his alphabet, but at last he succeeded and felt that his life's mission had been accomplished.

The book is engaging and written so that the story flows smoothly in a logical sequence.  The shaded illustrations adequately depict Louis Braille's modestly and humble surroundings.  They also give a sampling of what Braille writing looks like.  The table of contents and index allow for a reader to quickly find specific facts about Braille's life.  The story seems very complete, as many details are given about the circumstances surrounding Braille's development of his writing; however, no references or sources are cited by the author to show where the information came from.

Out of Darkness is a good book for older and younger readers.  It offers plenty of information about the life of Louis Braille without complicated writing or concepts.  It is written in such a way that readers admire the modesty and fabulous accomplishments of Louis Braille.  I recommend this book for readers of all ages.