All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, 4th Estate, 523pp
A novel which is at once beauifully written and a page-turner which advances its story with short, brisk chapters. It alternates between two characters caught up in the barbarism of the Second World War. The female protagonist, Marie-Laure, is blind. As the Germans invade, she and her father take refuge in St Malo, a walled city by the sea. The male protagonist, Werner, is a German youth obsessed with radio and electronics. Also in the story is a diamond so valuable that it has to be guarded from theft with the aid of three replicas. As well as the war the novel describes everyday thoughts and actions, and human kindness.
This is the best novel I have read in the past year. Highly recommended.
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