In "Bewilderment," Richard Powers tells the poignant story of astrobiologist Theo Byrne as he navigates single parenthood in the wake of his wife's passing. His son, Robin, is a nine-year-old bursting with creativity and love for the natural world, yet he is grappling with emotional challenges that lead to violent outbursts at school. Reluctant to medicate his troubled child with psychoactive drugs, Theo turns to an experimental neurofeedback treatment inspired by the recorded patterns of his late wife's brain. As father and son embark on a transcendent journey that blends their earthly struggles with visions of the cosmos, they confront raw questions about reality, the environment, and the complexities of the human condition.