Anthony Doerr's All The Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr’s novel, “All The Light We Cannot See” is a historical fiction novel centering around Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, an orphaned German prodigy, during World War II. The story follows these unfortunate characters throughout their lives, though their ultimate encounter, and through the following relationship that develops. Justin-Siena rightfully selected “All The Light We Cannot See” as their summer read book this year. The moral lessons derived from the novel are important for students to understand. Additionally, Doerr’s unique storyline and writing style teaches students that a novel can be complex and innovative whilst retaining interest.
Upon finishing the book, moral questions and concepts face the reader. The obvious one is: How can Werner, a member of the notoriously evil Nazi party, be a virtuous person? According to the book, he is a righteous being: he rids the world of the Sea of Flames and selflessly

One of the key aspects of Doerr’s novel is his usage of two alternating main characters who - until later in the book - have entirely separate story arcs. Using an alternative way of storytelling is important because it shows the reader that there are different ways to write novels with deviations from the boring, sequential, one-timeline novel. Additionally, this use of simultaneous timelines is effective in keeping the reader interested. Each chapter ends a cliffhanger, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats engaged in the novel.
“All The Light We Cannot See” is an effective summer reading book for Justin-Siena because of its ethic content which lines up to the core Lasallian principles. Additionally, it is a technically advanced piece from its storytelling to its writing. Now the only question that remains is: What is going to be the book next year?