Now I See: How I Battled Blindness, Mental Illness, an Espresso Habit and Lived to Tell the Tale (Unabridged‪)‬

By the time native Sicilian Mariagrazia Buttitta turned 26, she’d planned out the perfect life. After finishing her residency in Buongiorno Medical School, she’d be primed for a job at the prestigious Roma Hospital, the first step toward becoming an Italian Dr. Oz. And what life is complete without a handsome prince by her side, gracing the face of Italian People Magazine as one part of Italy’s “Most Beautiful Couple”?   

Instead, she wakes up to discover a medical diagnosis that leaves her almost completely blind. Her family, frustrated and desperate, seeks medical aid in the US, but it comes with a steep price. Along the way, Mariagrazia must battle bullies, an obsessive lover, and her two biggest enemies: anxiety and depression. 

Tortured by her thoughts, she finds herself toeing the line between life and death, contemplating ending it all. As a last resort, she turns to a childhood diary of poems and creative writing to rediscover herself and the will to live...before it’s too late.    

Now I See is a heart-wrenching yet humorous true tale of struggle, survival, amazing grace, unconditional love, and a fresh look at the American dream. It’s an account of one young woman’s journey overcoming devastating odds while stumbling her way through darkness into light.