Thank you to LibroFM and Simon and Schuster Audio for an copy of Frank Bruni’s The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found.

In his memoir, journalist and non-fiction writer Frank Bruni details a life-altering medical situation, where a stroke left him blind in one eye. As he was adjusting to his new normal, he also lived in fear of losing sight in his other eye, a problem that some doctors warned could happen. Bruni was middle-aged, in a long-term relationship, and in a very good place in his career, often traveling abroad for both work and pleasure. Doctors warned that his sight could worsen if he spent time in high-altitudes and he began to have trouble seeing in the dark, making driving to destinations difficult, curtailing his travels. Shortly after Bruni’s diagnosis, his partner was unfaithful and their relationship ended. Although not married, they had lived together for many years and the break-up was akin to a divorce, such as dividing shared belongings. Bruni was left alone to rebuild.

Despite all of the challenges Bruni faces, he handles these major life changes with grace. He is surrounded by close friends and a loving family, which help ease loneliness. He finds ways to work with diminished sight and his career continues. Mostly, he embraces the positive aspects of his life. He feels bolstered by all of the travels and experiences that he had prior to losing sight and he stays confident that these experience will continue, even if they are modified. A running theme is to never take anything for granted, but also not to fall into self-pity for things that you no longer have. Bruni shares examples of other people facing challenges to show that everyone has their unique situations. One of the sweetest part of The Beauty of Dusk is when Bruni finds companionship with a dog that he adopts from a family member. I’m a huge animal lover and this just made my heart happy.

The audio version is narrated by Bruni and he has a soothing, easy on the ears voice. I feel that The Beauty of Dusk would be equally engaging, whether you choose the audio or print version. Bruni’s compelling story and poetic words combine for a absolutely beautiful memoir, one that I personally loved and will purchase as a gift for friends.