Nada A. reviewed on 8/10/2010 + 1361 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This is a rather short book. According to the book jacket, the book is based on a historical woman. Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono. The onset of her blindness supposedly led to the invention of the first working typewriter.

Reading the story was like reading and getting bits and pieces of the complete picture which seems appropriate considering the main character. The imagery with which the main character sees her world as she begins to lose her sight is fascinating - visual and colorful. Even after completely losing her sight, she describes her dreams because that is the one place she can still see. The ending left me wondering and wanting to learn more about her life and the life of the inventor of the "writing machine". Unfortunately, I don't know if much information is available. None of the writing machines have survived although some of the letters she wrote apparently have.

Incidentally, the man Pellegrino Turri is also credited with the invention of the carbon paper. He used the carbon paper merely to provide the ink for his "writing machine."

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