All The Lights We Cannot See
A marvelous literature piece, transcribed by the award-winning author Anthony Doerr, transports us
into the era of WWII. The story begins in 1945 where the German planes have dropped bombs on the French soil and a helpless girl is trapped in her house. Parallel to it, another German with two fellow colleagues of his is also stuck in some hotel during the attack. The author then transports us back to the year 1934 before the siege and from thereon, the story develops.
The lucid writing of the author aids us throughout the transition to this year. A young girl, daughter of the locksmith of the museum in Paris, France is going to turn blind soon and there is a young German orphan who along with his sister is accepting the realities of life and beginning to live in Children's Home with his ever curious and inquisitive mind. His this curious mind helps him find a radio and repair it, in which he along with his sister listen to a man explaining them the wonders of science. The author masterfully develops the characters in the beginning.
The girl, Marie-Laure is a passionate reader who with the aid of the words can travel to far of destinations and see things which her eyes cannot see. Her father is also constant support to her who teaches her to be self-reliant. On the other hand, Werner develops a taste for physics and mechanics and becomes the most sought after boy in the neighborhood for trivial repairs. however, he knows his future somehow lies in the mines only, till a miracle happens and he gets to go to Berlin to work under famous scientists. But, his sharp mind is soon witnessed by an official with a broken radio, resulting in enlisting of Werner in the school for Hitler Youth.
With the approaching war and the changing circumstances, both the protagonists grow much before their age. Marie-Laure with her father had to flee from Paris and move to Saint-Malo to stay with her grandfather, Etienne. Werner was made to join the National Political School for training and was caught by his professor who trained him in making radios and understanding frequencies.
A gemstone, Sea of Flames, which is said to be gifted by the Goddess of Sea to her lover and was stolen by a prince, which will never let the possessee of it die, and now in captivity of the museum in Paris, was also pivotal to the narration as the story unfolds. Another character, a German official in quest of the gem found his way to Marie- Laure and Marie-Laure in trying to seek help found Werner.
The story is beautifully written and the intricate details are explained in the manner that the reader feels the emotions-glee, sadness, fear, helplessness and strength-of the characters. The author has used a strong diction which describes the 20th century in an apt manner. The most interesting segment is the interwoven ending of the lives of the characters, making the conclusion complete. A must read and a classic of our times, it will be a pure delight for lovers of the genre of historical fiction.
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