“The twinkling of an eye. That is the most wonderful expression. I've thought from time to time it was the best thing in life, that little incandescence you see in people when the charm of a thing strikes them, or the humor of it. 'The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart.' That's a fact.”

American novelist and essayist of the late 20th and 21st centuries, Marilynne Robinson is best known for her meditative fiction and nonfiction exploring faith, morality, and the American landscape. Her work often blends intellectual depth with lyrical prose, examining the intersection of belief and human experience.