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  • Haben

  • The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
  • Written by: Haben Girma
  • Narrated by: Haben Girma
  • Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (10 ratings)

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Haben

Written by: Haben Girma
Narrated by: Haben Girma
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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

What the critics say

"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)

What listeners say about Haben

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love her and great book

Love that she read the book herself. Its a great book but wished for more. I find her talks much better, the book dint share as many experiences as I thought it would, especially her college years. For some reason i wish she had shared more of her college life experiences. She is i dare say “inspiring” lol you’ll get it when you read the book hahaha

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Tender and Strong

Haben, thank you for the gift of your voice. I laughed and learned so much!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

May think it's about her journey, it's also ours!

You may think that this story is only about Haben overcoming the seeing and hearing world, and in part it 100% is, but it's also about the world around her coming to understand that disability itself isn't a bearier. It's an incredible and hopeful read! Thanks to Haben and many others in the book it really goes to show the world is progressing toward a more inclusive and accepting place!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting but has room for improvement.

It was a very interesting listen to peer into the life experience and daily reality of a deaf blind woman. Overall I think that it is worth the listen because it expanded my worldview and allowed me to connect with more kindness, understanding, and compassion for people who experience the world different than we do.

My critique is that the book could’ve been more polished. Although life lessons were abundant, the presentation seemed a bit rushed or truncated. For example, she described in detail the first term of Harv
ard Law but never expanded on studying for and taking the LSAT, or years 2 and 3 of Harvard. I was left wanting to know more.

As well, She had far too many details of conversational dialogue to the point where it read like a script.

Comparing this to Becoming by Michelle Obama, this book could have been a little more sophisticated.

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