Here, read this: All the Light We Cannot See
/Chances are if I time traveled back to any of the summers between the ages of 8 and 18, I'd find young Annie completely surrendered to a really good book. I'd be stretched out and nestled into the crevice of the front room sofa, tunneling through a page-turner. I miss those long languishing reading days, don't you? It's not just that adulthood has laid claim to those long stretches of unfettered time. It's also harder to find that kind of deliciously immersive read.
I had planned on posting something else for our quick Tuesday post today but I'm midway through All The Light We Cannot See and (a) all I want to do is go dive into the story again and (b) I have to spread the goodness and say: Go, friend. Read this book.*
I don't want to overtell or oversell so I'll keep it brief and straight forward. Ten years in the writing, the novel is the story of a blind French girl and a young German orphan boy as they try to navigate the events surrounding World War 2 and beyond. Doerr's language is lyrical and rich and delicious; he kindly balances that richness with short, engaging chapters alternating perspectives and time frames. I know it's pretty risky to recommend a book I'm not completely done reading but I'm fairly confident it's going to follow through for me. And for you.
Here, don't just take my word for it, listen to these guys (but beware the spoilers):
and a Powell Books interview with author Doerr
*No, really. Go read it. I'll wait. Come back and we'll chat. I'd love to hear what you think.*
