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“You are legally blind.”

Anita was convinced that life was over, but God wasn’t finished with her story. She couldn’t see it then, but God had a good plan to bring hope and a future.

Hard things happen in this life. Still, there is hope beyond hurt; there is life beyond loss. Anita’s journey through blindness uncovered several timeless truths:

Everybody has something.

Grief is a process, not a one-and-done deal.

Chronic disease doesn’t have to be crippling.

Love triumphs over tragedy.

Beauty can come from brokenness.

I was privileged to be an early reader for Anita Sherer’s informative and deeply personal book about her struggle with retinitus pigmentosa. In Rough Places Smooth: Moments in a Journey through Blindess , Anita tells her story of a devastating diagnosis when she was a young woman, committed to her marriage, her young son and a challenging and satisfying career as a cardiac nurse. Given Anita’s background in medicine and her excellent writing skills, we learn fascinating information about the science behind vision loss to this disease. The heart of the story, however, is the honest manner in which Anita shares her anguish and triumph as she faces the changes she must make as her vision diminishes. Her family, friends, and colleagues are critical parts of her success. It is, though, her faith in God and spiritual practices that open her to Grace that shine through her book. I would recommend this to anyone struggling with hardship in their lives, not solely those with diminishing eyesight. We all have something to learn from Rough Places Smooth: Moments in a Journey through Blindness. 

CAROLYN STUART

Anita Sherer’s book, Rough Places Smooth: Moments in a Journey through Blindness is a heartwarming account of the day-to-day experiences of a young mother as her initial realization of slight changes in what she can see leads her to discovering the diagnosis of a devastating disease that robs her of her vision little by little. Anita offers her hand of friendship to readers as she shares the journey she traveled through the loss of her independence. She gives us a glimpse into the agonizing decisions she must make about giving up driving and what to do about her work as a nurse, which is not just a job to her, but a calling. All of Anita’s life is affected by this cruel disease – her self-confidence, her marriage, her parenting, her work, her friendships. Even her faith is shaken. Laugh and cry with Anita as she opens the door to her very personal journey. And finally, celebrate with her as, in her words, she found “hope beyond hurt and life beyond loss.”

BECKY SCARLETT

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