Book Review: All The Light We Cannot See

When I see "Pulitzer Prize Winner" on a book cover I open with high expectations and in "All The Light We Cannot See," Anthony Doerr delivers as promised. Set during World War II, Doerr lets us see through the "eyes" of three people drawn to the port city of Saint-Malo in France. Once there the the characters decide the fate of a valuable artifact: a mythical stone said to protect bearer from illness and danger.

The structure of this story reminds me of the classic western, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." In both we have three different stories told in the same time frame with the characters coming together in conflict near the end of the story. In "All the Light..." each chapter brings us up to date with one of the main characters as they approach their clandestine meeting in Saint-Malo. Marie-Laure (blind from the age of 6 years old), Werner Pfennig (educated in one of Germany's best military schools but questioning the cause) and Reinhold von Rumpel (an expert in rare artifacts) carry us along on their journeys while each plays their part in the war.

When reading a story I want to care about the characters. If I don't, I am not interested in what happens to them. Doerr gives us characters worth caring about with story lines that work well together. He pulls the subplots together without losing sight of the story's main conflict giving us heroes, villains and support characters who flow following the development curve we were taught in school.

I give "All The Light We Cannot See," two thumbs up recommending the story for anyone who has a passion for reading as well as those looking to develop a love for books. By the final page you will understand why this book can proudly wear its Pulitzer badge.

A warning for sensitive readers: There is a chapter in the story where a group of soldiers assault a group of teenage girls and their guardian. The scene is not graphic but may be difficult for some. The story is peppered with occasional foul language, what might be expected from soldiers in a war. There also seems to be an odd fascination with going to the toilet.