The novel, All the Light we Cannot See, is the story of two different characters living during the World War Two Era. All of these characters' lives are greatly impacted by the German bombing of Saint Malo. The three characters we follow are the blind girl, Marie-Laure who had originally lived in Paris, her father Daniel Leblanc is a locksmith whose job takes place in a museum. He took a gem called the “Sea of Flames” and hid it in his new place in Saint Malo. Werner Pfennig, a boy who lived in an orphanage in Germany. His exceptional talent in radios allowed him to enroll in a special school that was filled with people with a positive look on the Nazi ideology. He later becomes a German soldier but has issues with his morality. He later finds out Marie-Laure due to their sending of codes through a radio. The Germans later bomb Saint Malo in an attempt to find the gem and while Werner is stuck inside of a cellar, Marie-Laure hides inside of the attic. After Werner rescues Marie-Laure, she gives him the key to where the gem is located. In the end, years later, the gem is left behind.
I enjoy works of historical fiction like this with daring characters who defy the rule of terrible dictators like the Nazis, knowing that if they are caught that they would be put to death. I also enjoyed how Marie-Laure was blind, but through the help of her dad building a model of both towns they had lived in. She was able to memorize them by feeling through the streets. It was also intense, as while hoping Marie-Laure could succeed we also had to deal with the suspense of Werner trying to get away.
I really enjoyed this book, it is possibly one of the best books I have read. I think at times the different perspectives confused me, as the story jumped through a few other perspectives, not just the ones of Marie-Laure and Werner. This book was also fairly long, but the ending is very worth it. This book should be a must read for everybody.
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