I recently finished reading Crooked Paths Made Straight by Isabelle L.D. Grant, and it’s a book that has really stayed with me. It’s not just a travelogue; it’s a deeply personal account of a blind teacher’s journey around the world in 1959 and 1960, and it offers a unique window into a time that feels very distant from our own. What struck me from the beginning is that this book was completed more than sixty years ago, which gives the text a special historical context.
A World of Limited Information
Back then, information about different cultures wasn’t as readily available as it is today. We didn’t have the internet or social media to instantly connect us with different parts of the globe. So, what Isabelle Grant chose to focus on, her observations, and her interactions with people in various countries are far more revealing and significant in this historical context. Some of the things that she describes would probably not be considered especially interesting in a recent travel book. However, this is what makes this book so unique. She provides a snapshot of what it was like to live in the mid-20th century and specifically what it was like to be a blind person navigating different societies around the world.
A Teacher’s Perspective
Isabelle Grant was a schoolteacher. Her lifelong commitment to learning shines through in every chapter. Her primary mission was to learn about the education systems in the countries she visited, especially the education provided to blind children.
Her perspective as a teacher gives the book a unique focus. She isn’t just interested in tourist sights, but in the lives and opportunities of people, particularly children.
Solo Travel and Defiance of Conventions
What’s truly remarkable about Grant’s journey is that she undertook it alone, accompanied only by her long white cane, which she affectionately called Oscar. She had been totally blind for twelve years at the time of her journey. In 1959, solo travel, particularly for a woman and a blind person, was very unconventional. She challenged the limitations that society imposed upon her, and she showed that neither being a woman nor being blind would stop her from experiencing the world on her terms. As she states: “At a time when both women and blind people were generally seen as too helpless for solo travel, Grant fearlessly defied conventions”. It is an inspiration to see that she did not allow “ideas about what a blind person should and should not do” to affect her.
Navigating Different Cultures
The book is a fascinating exploration of different cultures and societies. From Great Britain to Fiji, Grant shares her experiences in twenty-three countries. I was especially drawn to the chapters on Pakistan, where she spent a significant amount of time. She learned to navigate the streets by rickshaw, struggled to learn Urdu, and explored the local schools. In Karachi, she observed that blind people did not teach, and they also did not travel. This observation became her mission in life, trying to change that mindset. She recounted that she turned to write on the chalkboard in a school when she was surprised by a round of applause, which was very unusual. She also learned that there were few books in Pakistan and that they were locked up because they were so precious.
Grant’s descriptions are vivid, not just of places, but of people’s lives and social structures. For example, in Coupvrai, France, she visited the home of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille writing system, and pondered “the possibilities” of his invention that “are far from exhausted”. In Egypt, she visited the pyramids and the Sphinx, not just as tourist attractions, but as historical sites that she could experience through touch and the descriptions of her guide.
She also described her impressions of the cultural differences she observed, for example, when she went to see the pope. She noted the “moving experience to be in his presence” while he spoke “reverent, dignified, solemn, simple”. She also observed the differences between the views of Western culture compared to that of Pakistan on the topic of Islam, and learned that one builds character differently than one learns the holy text.
A Focus on the Blind
Throughout the book, Grant consistently returns to her primary interest: the situation of blind people around the world. She observes that many sighted people speak for blind people and make decisions about what blind people should do. In one of the most interesting and insightful chapters of the book, she recounts her visit with a philosophical cult that asked her whether blind people have the right to marry and have children. Her response was that “blind people have rights as people,” and they have “the right to self-determination, just as he had himself”. It is a shame that she had to explain this most basic human right.
Grant also notes that in many places she visited, the blind were seen as beggars, with very few opportunities for education or employment. She saw that many of the schools for the blind were, in reality, “nothing but charitable institutions” where the executive boards did not believe that blind children were educable. She also mentioned that in one instance, the school authorities deemed her unfit to teach sighted students and reassigned her to teach blind children instead. She also noted that the schools for blind children were inadequate and devoid of hope. Her concern for their welfare is very evident: “I would try to find out why blind people were static and silent. I would seek to understand what was holding them back.”
However, not all of her observations were negative. In Malaysia, she met many blind people working as “stenographers, switchboard operators, plastic workers, packers… sorting and verifier machine experts, comptometrists, and teachers”. This inspired her to see what was possible. This insight made her certain that the “philosophy of the school and the rehabilitation center was not one of providing custodial care for blind persons but of creating opportunity and independence”.
She believed that the real problems of blindness were the misconceptions of the sighted public. She recognized that education was the key to changing perceptions and empowering blind individuals.
A Snapshot, Not a Comprehensive Overview
It’s important to remember that Crooked Paths Made Straight is not a comprehensive overview of the entire world. Grant often focused on the areas and the issues that most captured her attention. She herself stated that she was not a politician or a diplomat, but rather she was a schoolteacher. As a result, she did not explore certain countries that were already more well-known to her. This means that some parts of the world that she visited are described with far more detail than others.
For instance, the descriptions of Pakistan, and India, are much more extensive than those of Western Europe, where the culture was already quite familiar to her. I was left wanting more information about the countries in Europe, but that was not the focus of this book, which, given its historical context, makes sense.
Personal Reflections
What I found most compelling about Crooked Paths Made Straight is the deeply personal tone of the book. Grant doesn’t just describe what she saw, but what she felt. She is honest about her own struggles and biases, and her willingness to learn and grow from her experiences.
For instance, she acknowledges her initial difficulty in adjusting to a different way of life, and she made an effort to forget about the things that were not being done according to her standards. Instead she chose to focus on what was being done. It is quite telling how she chose to reframe her perspective. She also mentions an occasion when she had an opportunity to learn about the Islamic faith, which is a perfect example of her openness to other cultures.
She also reveals her fears, for instance, when she says: “I found in South Africa I had to learn how to speak, when to speak, and when not to speak… I shuddered to think of man’s inhumanity to man”. But even in these moments of fear or discomfort, she emphasizes her dedication to helping the blind. She mentioned that even her friend, Mrs. Ansari, in the US had the temptation to give up and leave, but she was also determined to succeed, just like Isabelle Grant was.
A Timeless Message
Despite being written more than half a century ago, Crooked Paths Made Straight still has so much to offer. Grant’s message of perseverance, equality, and the importance of education is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s. It is inspiring to read about her commitment to the cause of blind people. For instance, she describes her experience of trying to learn the language in Pakistan: “I was beginning to understand some Urdu, but I did not have enough of the language to follow a conversation, which frustrated me very much”. She never gave up in her journey. She even learned Urdu Braille to try to help people.
Her perspective on the importance of the human factor is insightful. She observed, in the context of a philosophical discussion, that, “Didn’t blind people have rights as people? Didn’t they have the right to self-determination, just as he had himself?” She believed that these rights and freedoms were the very foundations of human dignity.
One of the most profound lessons from the book is that, “the greatest limitation of blindness is the sighted,” which is to say that the greatest limitation is the way that people perceive blind people. As she explains in the postscript, “So my story is filled with nothing, the nothingness seen by any blind person anywhere, seen by the millions of blind persons in the world today. Nothingness plus opportunity turns into a real something”.
A Highly Recommended Read
I highly recommend Crooked Paths Made Straight. It’s a fascinating read that offers not only a glimpse into the past but also a valuable perspective on the importance of empathy, understanding, and human connection. While the book does have its limitations, given its historical context and the fact that it is based on one individual’s experiences, it is still a powerful book that deserves to be read. I found her writing to be very descriptive. She painted a vivid picture of the places she visited, the people she met, and the challenges she faced. You can really see how her teaching experience made her uniquely qualified to write this kind of book. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time.
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