All the Light We Cannot See

By  

Anthony Doerr

My Rating: 5

Genre: Historical Fiction, War

Finished On: Dec 28th, 2019

Yet, another heartbreakingly beautiful story of the life during war. I am not sure what to write in this review, so I'm simply writing down how I felt about each character. 

I actually could do only one thing. I mourned for each and every character in this book. 

For Werner: 

Who was trapped in an unavoidable circumstance, wherein he had to do things he despised doing, avert his eyes when he sees something wrong happening, all in the name of fighting for your country. At what cost? 

I mourned when he died. But considering the number of innocent lives he witnessed being taken while not being in a position to do anything for them, I don't think he would have been able to live with that guilt. 

For Jutta: 

Who got separated from her brother, and couldn't even see him before he passed away. War does that. It did to all those family who have lost their loved ones. 

For Frederick: 

Who was just an innocent boy, lover of birds, and hater of wrong things happening in the institute. He didn't fight for himself, just spent his time admiring the birds. But he really should have fought for himself, and not take the blows which he did. Then he wouldn't have to live years and years without retaining a memory, with your mother by your side patiently looking after you every single day. 

His mother shouldn't have discarded the book of birds. 

For Etienne Leblanc: 

Who was already traumatized with one war experience. And is being traumatized yet again with another. Lost his brother in war. Lives with memories of horror of it. His nephew goes missing, and he does not how or where he is. He puts his fears aside and steps out of the house 24 years later, in order to find her grand niece, fearing something wrong has happened to her. Demise of Madam Mandc hits a chord and he lives up to her words 

Don't you want to be alive before you die?

Marie Laurie's father: 

Who only wanted to protect his daughter. Sets out one night, and never returns. 

Marie-Laure: 

Who is, indeed, a very brave girl. But I mourned for her as she lived most of her life, hoping her father comes back. Has conversations with her father. Gets mad, gets upset, gets hopeful. Her father goes out one day, and never comes back. And she spent most of her life waiting, as her father once said

I will never leave you. Not in a million years

If the above quote doesn't make you feel a pang of pain in the heart, I'm not sure what will.