A deeply felt literary memoir of one man's journey to redemption
through vision loss, alcoholism, and the burden of a family
legacy.****
Born to the author Peter Matthiessen, young Lucas traveled through life
believing himself a disappointment to his famous father. From an early
age, Lucas was exposed to the fanciful ideas of his parent's group of
renowned bohemians as well as to their addictive pastimes. Within the
shadow of his father's professional success came another source of
darkness--the deterioration of Lucas's vision from retinitis pigmentosa.
With blindness looming imminently, Lucas spirals downward, unsure of how
to turn his degree in English Literature into a job and relying more and
more on alcohol. As Lucas' drinking and eyesight worsen, so too do his
interpersonal relationships and first career in publishing.
First Light is a memoir of loss and learning. By pulling himself out
of addiction and accepting that he will lose his sight completely, Lucas
transitions from being "the son of" someone famous to an individual with
his own strong sense of self. Despite continued personal tragedies,
Lucas develops a second sight that is aimed inward, laying his triumphs
and failures bare.
With great honesty, Lucas Matthiessen creates a vivid portrait of
self-destruction and rebirth, which is, above all, a vision of hope.
