The Country of the Blind memoir book displayed on a desk in a home library.

The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight

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One of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year • A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year • One of NPR's Best Books of the Year • One of Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Books of the Year

A witty, winning, and revelatory personal narrative of the author’s transition from sightedness to blindness and his quest to learn about blindness as a rich culture all its own

We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but starting in his teenage years, his sight began to degrade from the outside in, such that he now sees the world as if through a narrow tube. Soon—but without knowing exactly when—he will likely have no vision left.

Full of apprehension but also dogged curiosity, Leland embarks on a sweeping exploration of the state of being that awaits him: not only the physical experience of blindness but also its language, politics, and customs. He negotiates his changing relationships with his wife and son, and with his own sense of self, as he moves from his mainstream, “typical” life to one with a disability. Part memoir, part historical and cultural investigation, The Country of the Blind represents Leland’s determination not to merely survive this transition but to grow from it—to seek out and revel in that which makes blindness enlightening.

Thought-provoking and brimming with warmth and humor, The Country of the Blind is a deeply personal and intellectually exhilarating tour of a way of being that most of us have never paused to consider—and from which we have much to learn.

By purchasing this product, you are contributing to the cure and care required by people affected by leprosy and disability. Your purchase helps enable them to restore their lives. (104152)

Aid people impacted by leprosy

339 pages
Published: 7/18/2023
Size: 9.56" l x 6.34" w x 1.29"

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A 100% of the profits go towards our projects!

With every purchase, you're directly contributing to supporting people affected by leprosy and poverty. All proceeds from the sale of items in the shop, after expenses and cost of goods, are allocated to fund Leprosy Mission overseas projects. Additionally, some of the products available have been made by people affected by leprosy, ensuring that the cost of the goods also benefits these suppliers.

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