In The Country of the Blind (8 hours), Andrew Leland explores the culture, politics and history around blindness—a topic that is especially important to him because he is slowly losing his eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa. Leland takes listeners on a wide-ranging examination of blindness: both how it’s treated and how those who have it experience the world.
Leland’s honest and emphatic narration of The Country of the Blind emphasizes the personal nature of this book. Acting as both writer and narrator helps him bridge the gap between his research on vision and the intimate accounts of those who have vision issues, including himself. His reading is straightforward but warm, echoing the heavy and hopeful themes of the stories he shares.
Nuanced and emotional, The Country of the Blind explores difficult conversations around disability with empathy. By placing individuals’ accounts within historical context, Leland tells real stories with authority and authenticity.
