All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

What an incredibly well-written but sad novel. I understand that war is sad, and I certainly didn't expect this to be a feel-good book, but the underlying sadness throughout the book made me teary-eyed several times.

First of all, Frederick. He was such a sweet boy; a good friend to Werner; a bird lover. All he wanted to do it study birds, and that was taken from him. And Werner, the orphan who loved his sister; so incredibly intelligent; so intent on not dying in the mines like his father. Both of them young German boys who followed orders always, until they each made one defiant act that ended life as they knew it. In the end, they both defied their "mission" as a German - certainly for different reasons - but they each seemed to understand that what they were doing wasn't right for them anymore. They both stood up for something they believed in, despite the consequences. Werner's final redeeming action was to leave Marie-Laure's treasure behind. I have ready plenty of books set in World War II that differentiate between being a "German" vs being a "Nazi", where you despise the Nazis and their actions, but feel sympathy for the German people who didn't fully understand what was happening in their country. This book made me feel sad for the children of Germany who were living, or barely surviving, in a crumbling country in economic collapse when Hitler came to power. Their choices were limited, and they chose survival for themselves and/or their family.

And the sadness continues with Marie-Laure's father and wonderful, brave Madame Manec. Where would Marie-Laure have ended up without these two influences in her life? Her dad had such foresight to force Marie-Laure to learn how to live and survive without sight. Building the models of her neighborhoods, insisting that she learn them storm drain by storm drain, sending her the letters from prison with hidden clues. Then there was Madame Manec aiding the resistance in France, despite the risk to herself and others - and encouraging others to stand up and fight the only way they could.

Then there is Marie-Laure herself, who does so many brave things. She was a child! She was a blind child, who suffered loss after loss, and she continued to fight on. Etienne certainly wasn't a big help in the beginning, other than offering his home to Marie-Laure and her father after they fled Paris, but he came through in the end. First with his illegal radio transmissions and then stepping up to being Marie-Laure's "family" after she lost everyone else.

Excellent Read!

Wendy's Rating: *****