Title: All the Light We Cannot See
Author: Anthony Doerr
Publication details: April 4th 2017 by Scribner
Genre: Historical fiction
Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. (Goodreads)
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. (Goodreads)
A beautiful story of dream, hope, independence and nationalism in times of war.
I love historical fiction, especially about war. So when I found out about All the Light We Cannot See, I knew I had to read this book.
Plot and Characters
All the Light We Cannot See is a character-driven, coming of age story set in France and Germany during World War II. In the story, we follow two main characters- Marie-Laure, a blind girl from Paris, and Werner, an orphan from a mining town in Germany. Each has different circumstances and faces different challenges. But soon their paths will cross and their stories will intertwine, depicting another heartbreaking yet moving sides to the story of war.
I liked how every chapter is full of affirmations about different topics. The story is written such that the ugly sides of war and the beauty of humanity is intricately woven together.
The characters are all well-written and three-dimensional. They offer rich stories of their own, consequently contributing to the plot development.
Marie-Laure's story is about independence and bravery. She became blind at a young age and at the start of a challenging time. She might have had a difficult time grasping the early years war, but as time passes she becomes aware of the dire time they're in. Though she cannot see and innocence still hangs from her, she is smart and is easily adaptable to her environment. I also liked that her disability did not hinder her from helping the cause.
One thing I find odd is the seemingly lack of fear and panic on her side. I know that she felt those things, but I was not able to feel them while I was reading. But other than that, I was able to see and appreciate Marie-Laure's character development.
Werner's story is more interesting in my opinion. I was able to see glimpses of human nature in his parts of the book.
Some boys his age see conscription as a way to uphold their country and self. For others, they see it as a death sentence. For Werner, however, it is his way out. He felt stuck in his current situation and the bleak future intended for him.
His intelligence and blind nationalism propels him as a soldier. But I liked how he is still rooted, never letting the war take control of his whole life.
There are a lot more characters worth mentioning- Jutta, Frederick, Frau Elena, Volkheimer, Madame Manec, Monsieur LeBlanc, Etienne, Seargent Major Reinhold von Rumpel- but this post will be too long. However, it is worth mentioning that their own stories resonate with what we see now in the world. The many faces and complexity of humanity.
The ending is a bittersweet one. I could wish a different ending, a happy one, but we all know there truly is no happy ending in a story of war. We learn, we move on- that's what we do.
Writing
I really liked the writing style of the author. Each element is connected with another or with the central plot. The story also flows smoothly, revealing the plot thread and connection as I read. There are technical terms in the book, but nothing that Google cannot solve. 😊
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I really recommend All the Lights We Cannot See, especially if you like historical fiction. It is a moving and beautiful story with deep characters and interesting plot.
I also cannot wait to find other works of the author, I will definitely read them.
