All the Light We Cannot See is one of many books I've found through Modern Mrs. Darcy and, for the most part, if she recommends, I love it. (My daughter and I are participating in her 2015 Reading Challenge, post coming soon!) I immediately put this book on hold at our library when I read about it on her blog. I was 15 in the queue when I first requested it, but it was worth the wait!
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a beautifully written tale set during World War II. It weaves together the stories of a young, blind French girl who flees Paris with her father and a young German boy who finds himself caught up in the horrors of a war he doesn’t understand. The writing alternates between their two perspectives and intertwines their narratives in a haunting, moving way.
I was especially excited because this book landed in my library bag the same week my children were learning about Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entrance into World War II in our homeschool community, Classical Conversations. I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand this summer and have been hoping to find another good WW II book at some point this year. All the Light We Cannot See fit the bill perfectly. It probably isn’t the right pick for WW II buffs, but it is an intriguing story that caused me to think about the fact that individuals survive and suffer and fight and die in wars. Individuals with stories. This was my first read by Anthony Doerr, but it definitely won’t be my last.
Do you have a favorite historical novel or WWII book?
