Bewilderment

Bewilderment is a 2021 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Powers. Set in the near future amid a collapsing environment, the story follows a single parent named Theo Byrne and his son Robin, who is neurodivergent. The novel has been shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize.

Plot Summary

Theo Byrne is an astrobiologist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life. His wife, Alyssa, died two years ago, and now he must raise their son, Robin, on his own. Robin has several neurodivergent conditions, though Theo refuses to give his son psychoactive drugs. After an outburst at school, Robin takes a trip with his father to the cabin where Theo and Alyssa spent their honeymoon. Alyssa was an enthusiastic lobbyist for animal rights and passed on her love of nature to her son.

During their stay at the cabin, Theo and Robin hike and then swim in a stream together, and Theo worries about what will happen to Robin when they return to their normal lives. In addition, Theo anxiously tries to ignore the news about increasingly common climate catastrophes. When the father and son return home, Theo tells Robin about imaginary, distant planets as though they were bedtime stories.