Savage Beast-A Peaky Blinders retelling of Helen Keller

authors note

just a PSA for this story I forgot to put at the beginning-I do not mean any disrespect to people who have disabilities. I have tremendous respect for anyone and everyone, and this story is not in any way making fun of those who have disabilities. If the language used is different, or it seems questionable or involving ableism, it is not meant in such a way. Remember that in the 1920s not much was known about being blind, deaf and mute. They were often put in asylums-and things such as autism were not discovered, so they would just assume that people were insane and unfortunately many people had to live in horrible conditions due to the misunderstanding of mental health and disabilities. My character Lily Shelby is loosely based on Helen Keller of the 1800s, who many know from history in school. She was a blind deaf and mute girl with a horrible temper who ran wild and was not taught manners until age seven when Annie Sullivan from Perkins School for the Blind moved in with the Keller family and taught Helen sign language, but she had to teach it by using Helens hands to feel and mimic the letters and words, because obviously Helen couldn't learn it the way most do by seeing it. Anyways, just wanted to give a little PSA and some background about this story. Happy reading. :)