Neil is born with congenital glaucoma. His poor Orthodox Jewish family moves downstate so he can attend the state school for the blind. There he encounters prejudice but makes a few friends among the black students, who introduce him to boogie-woogie music which becomes a passion. Because of prejudice about Jews, he decides to study Hebrew and passes his bar mitzvah, planning to be a rabbi. Liberal teaching ends that interest and he pursues music becoming an accomplished piano player. Because he is overweight and blind, no girls are interested in him. He graduates and goes to college, meeting Christians who take him to church. He doesn’t drink or use drugs but he becomes an “atheist”, playing in nightclubs. The first part ends when his mother dies.