"All The Light We Cannot See"

"All The Light We Cannot See" is a novel by Anthony Doerr and it was recommended to me by two friends who are in the same book club.  I first heard about it from them about a year ago and jotted it down to read in the future.  When  I checked it out from the library initially, I didn't start it and, when it was due, I couldn't renew it because it had been requested by someone else.  This time I started it right away and just finished it a day after it was due back.  It is 530 pages hardback but don't let that daunt you because it can be a quick read if you don't have to stop to go to work or prepare meals, etc.

This book was named one of the 10 best books of 2014 by The New York Time Book Review and it was a finalist for the National Book Award.The author has won numerous prizes in the United States and overseas including four O. Henry Prizes, three Pushcart Prizes. the Rome Prize, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award, the National Magazine Award for fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Story Prize.  After reading this story I understand why.  I can't tell you exactly why but there is a depth to his writing and a richness to this story that is amazing.

This story spans 70 years from 1934 to 2014 and is told in flashbacks by the two main characters, Werner, a German orphan, and Marie-Laure, a blind French girl.  Werner goes from orphan to German soldier and Marie-Laure transitions from a sheltered daughter in Paris to living alone with her uncle and a housekeeper in Saint-Malo, France.

As we get to know each one's history and learn about the other people who play a significant part in their lives, we also hear about the horrors of war and its sometimes unintended consequences.  Unknown to us in the beginning, there is a connection between Werner and Marie-Laure and that connection is their saving grace.  The jacket cover says Doerr "illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another."  Not only does Doerr tell a story but he also imparts life lessons and I hope some I have learned from reading his novel will stay with me and guide me.  Don't miss this book!  pazt