Bewilderment, Richard Powers

An astrobiologist trying to raise his son as a single parent after his wife dies (and their unborn little child). The son is unusual to say the least.. brilliant, yet confused, depressed, and having a tough time handling life as a 9-10 year old. They lived along the lines of immeasureables from Bhuddhism – being kind toward everything alive, staying level and steady, feeling happy for any creature anywhere that is happy, and remembering that any suffereing is also your own. They would take camping trips to the smokey mountains to replenish and energize themselves from their mid-western home. The sights of the road through the trees from the trailheads pushing them back to reality and responsibilities. Even science and Universities have come to advertise, and do so after the son takes part in a new study from an experimental neurofeedback treatment that links him closer to his Mother, but eventually begins to tear him apart and grow more troubled. He doesn’t want to go back being him. Sometimes the natural world can save you or make you realize the more urgent state our world is in. A surprise ending that will make you reflect and sit back pondering what we tend to tell our children and grandchildren about the future of our beautiful blue globe.