Book Talk

At the tail end of 2015, I read The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty.  It's the story of the woman who chaperoned the young, wild, and beautiful Louise Brooks to NYC in the 1920s, where Louise planned to make a name for herself.  The women from small town Kansas have their own agendas for the journey, and although Louise's road to fame (and infamy) is an interesting one, it's the chaperone's story that makes this novel worth reading.  There are numerous historical references you'll recognize intertwined with the story of a woman who, after raising two sons and devoting herself to a good marriage, longs to really find herself.  If you're looking for a book to take with you on spring break, this would be a good one. 

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm taking part in this 2016 Reading Challenge:

The book I've been meaning to read (and which Steve conveniently bought me for Christmas) is the Pulitzer Prize winning All the Light We Cannot See. It came out in May 2014, and if you've been online or in a bookstore since, you've likely seen it everywhere.

This is a story about Marie-Laure, a young girl living with her father in Paris during WWII.  She goes blind at age six, but flourishes with the help of her devoted father.  When she is twelve, Nazis occupy Paris and they are forced to flee.  They connect with Marie-Laure's great uncle near the sea, carrying with them something of great value.  At the same time, an orphaned German teenager named Werner is recruited and trained by Hitler Youth because he shows great talent for building and fixing radios.  Werner is especially valuable in that he can lead Nazi soldiers to illegal radio broadcasts.  These stories collide when Werner finds himself with fellow soldiers in the same seaside town as Marie-Laure and her great uncle. 

Heavy.  Beautifully written.  Completely worth your time.

"Open your eyes, the Frenchman on the radio used to say, and see what you can with them before they close forever."

All The Light We Cannot See