In this deceptively simple tour de force, Alice McDermott lays out the keenly observed life of Marie Commeford, an ordinary woman whose compromised eyesight makes her both figuratively and literally unable to see the world for what it is. We come to feel for this unremarkable woman, whose vulnerability makes her all the more winning—and makes her worthy of our attention. And that's why McDermott, a three-time Pulitzer nominee, is such an exceptional writer. In her hands, an uncomplicated life becomes singularly fascinating, revealing the heart of a woman whose defeats make us ache and whose triumphs make us cheer. Marie's vision (and ours) eventually clears, and she comes to understand that what she so often failed to see is lying right in front of her eyes.