Fun fact. That author went into the school I attended to talk to blind people about the everyday experiences of being blind, and the book launch was held at the school. I was one of the people who gave input into blindness for the character.

I don't know this novel and I know nothing about this character, but I really don't get the ashamed thing. Annoyed by it, sure. Angry when people are asshats about it. All kinds of emotions. But not ashamed, it doesn't exactly reflect on me as a human being, does it? Why would anyone?

And yes everyone wants to not have it get in the way although it has to, to an extent. If someone's written a book in which there is someone with a serious visual impairment and they never hit anything that annoys them or winds them up about it, that's not an honest character.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

yeah this was a very very shaky novel at best. The one scene with her and the teenage boy on the flight was rather well executed, but the rest was average on a good day. I also went to the school mentioned by another poster.