All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr

In the walled city of Saint-Malo, Marie-Laure LeBlanc lives in a world of darkness. Blind since the age of six, she navigates the winding streets of Paris and later the rugged coast of Brittany by touch, memory, and the intricate wooden models built by her father, a locksmith at the Museum of Natural History. But Marie-Laure carries more than just memories; hidden within her reach is a legendary diamond—the Sea of Flames—a stone said to grant its owner eternal life while bringing a curse of endless misfortune to those they love.

Across the border in Germany, Werner Pfennig is an orphan with a genius for machinery and a desperate desire to escape the brutal destiny of the coal mines. His talent for fixing radios earns him a place at a prestigious, soul-crushing Nazi academy, where he is trained to track the very resistance broadcasts Marie-Laure and her great-uncle are transmitting.

As the Allied bombs begin to fall on the occupied city, the lives of the blind French girl and the reluctant German soldier collide in a haunting intersection of fate. Against the backdrop of a world set on fire, Doerr explores the invisible frequencies that connect us all—reminding us that even in the darkest hours of history, people will still strive to be good to one another.

Potentially Sensitive Topics: This novel is set during WWII and includes depictions of war-related violence, the death of children, antisemitism, sexual assault, and severe physical bullying/hazing within a military academy setting, as well as some profanity.