All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Review by Mirah Welday (mwelday)
Earlier this year, I picked my top 5 books to read in 2015 (see Hello, 2015! blog post) and All the Light We Cannot See was at the top of my list. This book was quite the emotional journey for me; there were some tears and one moment when I wanted to throw the book across the room.
Set during World War II, Werner and Marie-Laure come from two different worlds. Werner, an orphan German boy, finds a crude, broken radio and he is drawn into science and technology and wanting to know how things work. He develops an amazing skill of fixing and building radios of all kinds, from all sorts of parts. Werner and his sister Jutta imagine an incredible world where they can learn and get out of their down-trodden circumstances.
Marie-Laure grows up in France. As a child she loses her sight and her loving father is determined to do what he can to help Marie-Laure live a normal life. He carves a wooden scale replica of their neighborhood for Marie-Laure to study so she can develop the confidence and comfort to walk on her own through their neighborhood. She learns Braille and has amazing adventures through the pages of the books her father is able to give her.
Werner and Marie-Laure live in a time fraught with peril and doubt. Germany is embracing the promises of Adolf Hitler and, in the beginning of Hitler’s control, neighboring countries don’t realize what an evil force he will be for them to overcome. Werner and Marie-Laure don’t know of one another and the struggles they experience. However, eventually their paths converge due to circumstances brought about because of the war.
Focusing on these two children provides a unique perspective on a time in our history that is constantly explored and written about. I came to care for Werner and Marie-Laure and felt frustration that they were living during such turmoil. The converging of their lives is beautiful and destined. All the Light We Cannot See is a wonderful novel with rich, completely thought-out characters with moments of hope that kept me engaged. If you enjoy World War II-based historical fiction, I think you should add All the Light We Cannot See to your list of books to read this year.
Tags: Book Recommendations, Book Reviews, historical fiction, World War II
