All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light we Cannot See is a beautifully written novel about two young children growing up during the complicated times of WWII. Marie-Laure, a young French girl who is blind faces the war without her father, who has always promised to protect her. Werner, a talented young German boy struggles to obediently follow the path his nation has planned for him.

 I loved seeing the war through the eyes of innocent young people and how their resilience pulled them through. I also loved the invisible connection between Marie-Laure and Werner and I wonder how many people we are all secretly connected to.

Historical Value – 5

Emotional Value – 4

Entertainment Value – 2

Personal Character Value – 4

Age Recommendation – 15+

“But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“Don’t you want to be alive before you die?”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once, and its string might sail out of your hands forever.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“You know the greatest lesson of history? It’s that history is whatever the victors say it is. That’s the lesson. Whoever wins, that’s who decides the history. We act in our own self-interest. Of course we do. Name me a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests are.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“How do you ever know for certain that you are doing the right thing?”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“A real diamond is never perfect.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“Stones are just stones and rain is just rain and misfortune is just bad luck.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

War is a bazaar where lives are traded like any other commodity: chocolate or bullets or parachute silk.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

“I am only alive because I have not yet died.”

― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See