
“Bewilderment” by Richard Powers: A Quiet Meditation on Grief and Earth’s Fragility
Richard Powers’ Bewilderment (2021) is more than a literary novel—it’s an intimate exploration of parenting, ecological despair, and the search for emotional connection in a chaotic world. The story follows Theo, an astrobiologist, and his neurodivergent son, Robin, as they navigate grief after the loss of Robin’s mother. Set in a near-future America facing environmental…