In a desperate time for hope, All the Light We Cannot See delivers

Anthony Doerr is canonized.

For this Thursday New Canon, I have decided to bring one of my favorite newer fiction books into the fold. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr was published in 2014 and has since won a Pulitzer in fiction, as well as an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

This story is a historical fiction set in Europe during WWII with two main characters- Marie Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfenning, a German orphan. Their stories are separate tales of navigating the war until their paths end up coming together. The novel explores themes of love, morality, and the impact of war on ordinary people. There is also a through line of hope and endurance of the human spirit.

This book is a work of literary art. It is beautifully written and incredibly emotional. I first read this book in high school as an ‘extra credit’ summer read and it has stuck with me since.

I think being able to feel hope from stories is something necessary in the current state of the world. As an aspiring fiction writer, I’ve recently struggled with the feeling that all of this is frivolous and shallow. Why should anyone care about made-up worlds, or reading for pleasure when it feels like the world is on fire?

But then I thought about this book. I thought about all of the books that have had such a profound impact on me and shaping my world view. That is the importance of this book, and many other books that deal with heavier topics. They showcase hope. Even if it’s not necessarily an ‘escapism’ fiction, readers can still escape to the morals and ideals of that world on that timeline. They can be inspired by these fictional characters. And that is so important, now more than ever.

I am canonizing All the Light We Cannot See, and implore you to consider picking up a copy if you have not read it yet. It is truly beautiful writing.

Let me know your thoughts on this book, or any other ones in my canon!