Christy Brown was born a victim of cerebral palsy. But the hapless, lolling baby concealed the brilliantly imaginative and sensitive mind of a writer who would take his place among the giants of Irish literature.

This is Christy Brown's own story. He recounts his childhood struggle to learn to read, write, paint and finally type, with the toe of his left foot. In this manner he wrote his bestsellerDown all the Days.

Christy Brown was born in 1932. He was one of 23 children born to a Dublin bricklayer. A victim of cerebral palsy, he could not control his speech or his movement, apart from his left foot. This enabled him to paint and type this autobiography. He later wrote an autobiographical novel,Down all the Days, which was very successful. His novels includeA Promising Career,A Shadow on SummerandWild Grow the Lillies, and he also published his poetry inCollected Poems. Christy Brown died in 1981.

My Left Foot is Christy Brown's inspirational story of his early life, his battle against the restraints of cerebral palsy and his struggle to learn to read, write, and paint, all with the aid of his left foot.