All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, A Book Review by Rebecca Moll

Marie-Lauer, a French girl who cannot see.
Werner, a German boy, genius with radio waves.
A world ravaged by war.

Yet, they both see the world with sound. Their pairing drives the story forward, their convergence, artful and compelling.

From the first page, I fell in love with this story. Much like the diamond, the Sea of Flames, Anthony Doerr's story is a gem with many illuminations. Much like the miniature cities, towns, and houses that Marie-Lauer's father creates, All the Light We Cannot See is not just a replica, another story of lives torn and joined by war, but a story with many doors, secret openings, hidden recesses, surprise treasures. The people and places, Madame Manec, Etienne, Jutta, Frau Elena, Frederick, Paris, Zollverein, Saint Malo will stay with me for some time.

I shelve this story with a mix of emotions, a little reluctant to let it go and yet, looking forward to someday reading it again. I will wait though, a few years or more. Let a few years wash in between, let life add experience and retrospect and, hopefully, a little wisdom. Maybe then, I'll know the answer, fully appreciate the question, "What lies within All the Light We Cannot See?"