My Christmas Letter… Again

I don’t know what 2019 holds, but this is where my re-telling ends. This is where we officially let Oaklee be Oaklee. Our story, these days, is not much different than the stories of other 18-month-olds… and that feels pretty good. 

Be sure to read through to the P.S. at the bottom!

12.31.17

“I think I’m just going to be a mommy now and enjoy this baby phase with Oaklee…”

Friends and family,

As I close out the re-telling of our 2017, I look back on 2018 and see so much love, so much joy and so much redemption. I feel so humbled by the way God has turned my story around. 2017 was hard and painful. 2018 was hard and beautiful. I became a mom in 2017. I embraced being a mom in 2018.

In 2017, I fought a 6 month breastfeeding battle through anger, tears and frustration, leaning heavily on my breastpump. In 2018, I breastfed my child – largely with ease – the entire year.

In 2017, I was confined to the greater Grand Rapids area due to bedrest, proximity to the hospital, and, eventually, having a smaller-than-usual baby at home. In 2018, my husband and I took that baby from sea to shining sea – from Portland, ME to Portland, OR – catching weekends in Illinois, New York and northern Michigan in between.

In 2017, my baby was seen daily by a doctor for 69 days before attending 22 appointments in the remaining 3 months of the year. Not once did she appear on the growth chart. Not once did she make any developmental achievement at or ahead of what her actual age would have suggested. In 2018, my baby attended a total of 20 appointments with various health professionals. She made her first appearance on the growth chart in early January, coming in at the 2nd percentile for weight, and closed out the year over the 30th. She developed at or above expectations and finished the year – like any other 18-month old – a walking, talking toddler.

In 2017, I began feeding other babies with excess breastmilk, an opportunity I’d never aspired to have, but one I was confronted with. I donated to Oaklee’s neighbor(s) in both places she’d lived – in the NICU and at home. In 2018, I donated even more milk to those babies, plus a friend-of-a-friend’s baby, donating a total of 4,000oz (31.25 gallons, to put that in perspective). While I hated almost everything that came along with having an over-abundant supply of breastmilk, I would do it again and again if it meant I would have the opportunity to help mommies/babies so substantially like I was able to over the course of these past 18 months.

In 2017, I was stretched, I was mad, I was frustrated, sad, blindsided, confused, scared, regretful, tired, hopeful, relieved, grateful, redeemed. In 2018, I was stretched, I was happy, I was joyful, busy, adventurous, grateful, love-filled, content.

I don’t know what 2019 holds, but this is where my re-telling ends. This is where we officially let Oaklee be Oaklee. Our story, these days, is not much different than the stories of other 18-month-olds… and that feels pretty good.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

In the stats:
Birth weight: 2lb, 12oz
Last known weight: 10lb 8oz (12.1.17)
Adjusted age: 14 weeks, 1 day
Actual age: 26 weeks, 3 days
Days in the hospital: 69
Days home: 116
Appointments since home: 22

P.S. Thank you to those who’ve journeyed along with me through this re-telling! I do not have any concrete plans for where things will go next in this blog particularly, and will therefore take no offense should you choose to unfollow. There may be some radio silence for a while, but I will continue to post book reviews for those interested in what I’m reading, I will be fundraising for the March of Dimes again and will give updates as to progress there, and I will fill you in (eventually) on my next writing project – something I’ve dreamed about for years and am very excited to take steps toward in 2019!

2018 in Books

It’s literally been a year for the books. For the past several years I’ve set out to read 24 books each year – two each month. Each time I’ve set that goal, I’ve come in somewhere around 26-28, so this year I challenged myself to read 30. If you’ve been following along, you know that didn’t exactly happen.

It’s literally been a year for the books. For the past several years I’ve set out to read 24 books each year – two each month. Each time I’ve set that goal, I’ve come in somewhere around 26-28, so this year I challenged myself to read 30. If you’ve been following along, you know that didn’t exactly happen.

A bit of a victim of wander lust, here’s what I’ve found: When I read, I can go places I won’t actually ever get to go. In 2018 alone, among other places, I traveled to Nepal, New York City, Nantucket Island, Nigeria, Germany, France, India, Pakistan, England, Texas, Danbury Correctional Facility, Rwanda, Alaska, Mexico and even 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! I met some of the most amazing people – people who’ve seen and/or experienced far more than I’ll ever see and/or experience. I learned about our correctional system, about political upheaval in many other nations, about the introduction of the isolette to NICUs, about adoption, about love…

Goodness, this year’s reading was amazing. Allow me to break it down for you, should you be interested. To see all of my 2018 book reviews, click here. Otherwise, at least check out “The Book(s) I’m Most Likely to Recommend to Others” below!

Books read:
47

Pages read:
14,675

Average Page Length:
312

Longest Book:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity

Shortest Book:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (an adaptation) by Andrea M. Clare

My Average Rating:
3.4

My Highest Rated Books (5 stars):
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

My Lowest Rated Books:
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (1 star)
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand (2 stars)
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson (2 stars)
Courage to Soar by Simone Biles (2 stars)
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (2 stars)
Mercy by Jodi Picoult (2 stars)

Goodreads Highest Rated Book of my 2018 Books:
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (4.62 average rating)

Goodreads Lowest Rated Book of my 2018 Books:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (an adaptation) by Andrea M. Clare

My Favorite Book of 2018:
The Girl Who Smiled Beads
by Clemantine Wamariya – Clemantine’s true story of her fleeing the Rwandan Genocide as a young girl.
Sold by Patricia McCormick (first runner up) – A realistic fictional story of Lakshmi, a Nepali girl who was sold into prostitution.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (second runner up) – A realistic fictional story of domestic voilence and the attempt to survive in the untamed wilderness of Alaska.

The Book(s) that Changed the Way I Think About Something:
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – A true story of Bryan Stevenson’s journey toward ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman – Piper’s true story of her time in a women’s prison for a crime she committed a decade previous to being caught.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung – Nicole’s true story of her adoption, the consequences that came with it and her reunion with her birth family.
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider – A realistic fictional story of Lane’s experience in a sanatorium upon his diagnosis of modern day “Total Drug Resistant Tuberculosis”.
Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork – A realistic fictional story of two siblings in Juarez, Mexico who battle poverty, violence, justice, right and wrong and love in the tangled web that is the violence and cartel activity of Juarez, which forces them to make the trek of illegal immigration.

The Book(s) I’m Most Likely to Recommend to Others:
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya – Clemantine’s true story of her fleeing the Rwandan Genocide as a young girl.
Small Country by Gaël Faye – A story based on Gaël’s childhood in Burundi Africa pre-Rwandan Genocide. Born to a Rwandan mother and a French father, Gaby was forced to flee to France.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – A true story of Bryan Stevenson’s journey toward ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – A fictional WWII story that shows the demands of war, the desire to do good and the devastation greed and power can cause.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green – A speculative fictional story of April May’s overnight fame due to her discovery and how she deals with the pressures of said fame amidst am excited and confused world.
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider – A realistic fictional story of Lane’s experience in a sanatorium upon his diagnosis of modern day “Total Drug Resistant Tuberculosis”.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – A realistic fictional story based on the true story of the work of spies during the Great War. 

The Book(s) I’m Least Likely to Recommend to Others:
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Scariest Book I Read:
The Line that Held Us
by David Joy

The Happiest Book I Read:
Calypso by David Sedaris

If you’ve made it this far, you must be a reader as well. Please comment to let me know your book recommendations!

Book Review – Sold

Sold is about the young Lakshmi, a Nepali girl who’s sold to ease the financial strife of her family. Though they believe she’s headed to a big city in India where she’ll work as a maid, she quickly learns she’s been sold into prostitution upon her arrival at the “Happiness House”. Lakshmi lives a nightmare, fighting to survive, fighting for her dignity, and fighting simply to endure. 

Last review of 2018 – I promise! However, hang tight for a review of the 2018 reviews. What book was my favorite? What book stretched me the most? What book would I recommend to others? I’ll break it all down for you!


Book 47 – a gem of a Little Free Library find – a book I gave a great big hug once I reached the end. The perfect book to end my year on.

Book 47:
Sold
by Patricia McCormick

Genre:
Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Poetry

Published:
September 2006

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Sold is about the young Lakshmi, a Nepali girl who’s sold to ease the financial strife of her family. Though they believe she’s headed to a big city in India where she’ll work as a maid, she quickly learns she’s been sold into prostitution upon her arrival at the “Happiness House”. Lakshmi lives a nightmare, fighting to survive, fighting for her dignity, and fighting simply to endure.

Favorite Quote(s):

“Instead, we linger over a luxury that costs nothing: Imagining what may be.” 

“Simply to endure… is to triumph.” 

Patricia McCormick, Sold

Awards (based upon my brief research):
Quill Award for Young adult/teen
National Book Award Finalist

Pages:
268

My Overall Rating:
5 – Oh my goodness, this was just the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read. Never before have I fallen so deeply in love with a writing style. McCormick’s writing was poetic, eloquent and just all around beautiful. She shared the perfect amount of detail – telling a challenging story, one of human trafficking, with grace. Told from Lakshmi’s perspective, her beautiful soul was represented so well with this writing style. While she was fictional, I know she represents a lot of women and children who are so very similar to her and my heart just absolutely aches for her.

This was a great book to close out the year on… one that made me cry. One that I hugged when I finished. One that I just cannot explain without using the word beautiful at least three times.

Redemption

For every minute I sat alone with my pump, every time I washed the pump parts, every discomfort I felt in having an oversupply of breastmilk, every tear I cried through our breastfeeding battle, I found redemption in the opportunity to not only feed my child, but her NICU roommates as well.

12.29.17

“The most notable gift I gave this season was the gift of 1,836 ounces of breastmilk to the mom of the preemie twins who were in the same room as Oaklee in the NICU… I gave her over half of my freezer stock that’s left after having given 1000 oz to my neighbor, too. What a blessing it is to be able to be this blessing to another NICU mom. I don’t think I’ve ever given a better gift.”

For every minute I sat alone with my pump, every time I washed the pump parts, every discomfort I felt in having an oversupply of breastmilk, every tear I cried through our breastfeeding battle, I found redemption in the opportunity to not only feed my child, but her NICU roommates as well.

Over the course of Oaklee’s 69-day NICU stay, I was able to get to know a fellow NICU parent. In a room of eight isolettes, babies came and babies went, but two isolettes were occupied the entire time by twin girls born at roughly the same gestational age as Oaklee. Their mommy, L, and I would chat briefly as we passed each other in the halls or turned in our breast milk to the Nutrition room.

As we both prepared for the discharge of our kiddos, L mentioned the challenge it would be for her to maintain her pumping regime while adding the sole responsibility of feeding and caring for two babies on top of it.

L is a single mother. The twins are kiddos two and three for her. While, at the time, I did not know her story, I saw a great opportunity in what I did know to help Oaklee’s NICU roommates. On the day of Oaklee’s discharge, I left a note with L that included my phone number and told her of my overabundant supply of breastmilk. I urged her to reach out if/when she ran out of her own freezer stock once the girls came home.

Over the course of the next couple of months, I didn’t hear anything. Eventually, my freezer stock filled my deep freezer, my parent’s larger deep freezer and my parent’s upright freezer. I had an unruly supply of breastmilk – one I would never get all the way through, and one that was taking up more than my fair share of space in another person’s freezer.

With no way to get a hold of L, I reached out to my neighbor, whose son was born one day after Oaklee and had been on donor milk ever since. Over the course of two deliveries, I gave him 1000 oz of breastmilk, clearing out the upright freezer of my parents and dipping into their deep freezer.

Breastmilk is good for one year when stored in a deep freezer. Knowing I had more than I could use, I was aware I would need to donate more, and I would need to do it in a way that gave the receiver enough time to use it up before it expired. I didn’t know if L would reach out to me, and unfortunately, I couldn’t wait.

Similarly to how I’d decided the end of the year would be the end of the breastfeeding battle, I decided December 29 would be the cutoff for my waiting on L. On December 29, Oaklee would be 6 months old. My breastmilk would have a minimum expiration time of 6 months so long as I found someone to donate to quickly.

And on December 29, I received a text message from L, inquiring about the milk. In retrospect, I can see how many moments of our journey were clearly Divinely aligned, but this one was obvious from the moment I received that text message.

On the 29th, my husband and I made the trip in a blustery, winter storm to my parent’s house and retrieved from their deep freezer the milk I was willing to part with… and then more, before driving to L’s house to unload box upon box of bagged, frozen breastmilk. We filled her deep freezer and left boxes on the porch in the 8* night for her to bring to her parent’s deep freezer for future use.

I am a firm believer in giving when you have the opportunity to give. This particular giving opportunity may have been once-in-a-lifetime. I didn’t hesitate to give more than I felt comfortable giving. Oaklee was breastfeeding pretty comfortably. She was getting what she needed, and now, L’s baby girls could continue to get what they needed too.

L and I teared up. We hugged. We knew this moment was sacred.

Every minute I sat alone with my pump, every time I washed the pump parts, every discomfort I felt in having an oversupply of breastmilk, every tear I cried through our breastfeeding battle… it was all worth it. I would do it again and again if it meant babies – preemies especially – were being fed breastmilk they otherwise would not get.

On December 29, we completed the last stage of our 2017. In a time when most were looking ahead to resolutions, we had found resolution. Our baby was home. She was healthy. She was breastfeeding. She was sharing her mommy’s extra breastmilk with those in need – her own NICU roommates.

Good Pregnancy –> Bad Pregnancy –> NICU –> Breastfeeding Battle

Turning the page on this chapter in our life was so, so sweet. I will forever hold these dear, redemptive moments close to my heart, and while it took me an entire year to see the fruits of my detested labor, I feel incredibly blessed that God chose me to be a part of this story.

In the stats:
Birth weight: 2lb, 12oz
Last known weight: 10lb 8oz (12.1.17)
Adjusted age: 13 weeks, 6 days
Actual age: 26 weeks, 1 day
Days in the hospital: 69
Days home: 114
Appointments since home: 22

Book Review – Auggie & Me

Auggie and Me is not a sequel, but rather a deeper dive into Wonder. Auggie and Me includes three short stories told from the points of view of Auggie’s bully, Julian, Auggie’s longest friend, Christopher, and Auggie’s Welcome Buddy at Beecher Prep, Charlotte. Each of the characters made an appearance in Wonder, whether they played a major or minor role, and each of their stories in Auggie & Me show the impact Auggie has had on their lives.

 I told you I was sorry for the additional book reviews!


Book 46 was a birthday present of mine this year. I loved the story of Wonder by R.J. Palacio, and knew I needed to see these characters through.

Book 46:
Auggie & Me: three Wonder stories
by R.J. Palacio

Genre:
Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Published:
December 2014

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Auggie and Me is not a sequel, but rather a deeper dive into Wonder. Auggie and Me includes three short stories told from the points of view of Auggie’s bully, Julian, Auggie’s longest friend, Christopher, and Auggie’s Welcome Buddy at Beecher Prep, Charlotte. Each of the characters made an appearance in Wonder, whether they played a major or minor role, and each of their stories in Auggie & Me show the impact Auggie has had on their lives.

Favorite Quote(s):

“No one has to be mean. Ever.” 

-R.J. Palacio, Auggie & Me
Awards (based upon my brief research):

None noted.

Pages:
303

My Overall Rating:
4 – I know I only gave Wonder 3 stars, and that’s largely because it’s written for people who are half a generation below me. However, I still love, love, love this story and think everyone needs to hear, it in some fashion, by the time they’re in high school. What I loved about Auggie & Me specifically is the way R.J. Palacio left the ending to Wonder as it was, but dove deeper into the story, sharing the points of view from three other characters. After reading Wonder, the reader naturally wants more, but R.J. was very smart to leave what happens to the reader’s discretion in this case, and instead further show the impact Auggie made on people he interacted with at various capacities.

Book Review – An Anonymous Girl

An Anonymous Girl is about 28-year-old Jessica Farris’ entanglement after sneaking her way into a psychological study as an anonymous girl. Trying to make it on her own in New York City, Jessica finds herself getting deeper and deeper into that stud, causing her to become paranoid and making her question everyone and everything.

Again, I apologize for the additional book reviews. I’m backlogged as I’ve tried to space my posts out for a maximum of two per week, but I am also attempting to get each 2018 review posted in 2018.


Book 45 was my December Book of the Month choice. I, again, pushed myself out of my comfort zone for this one and, oh man, did it pay off.

Book 45:

An Anonymous Girl
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Genre:
Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

Published:
January 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, An Anonymous Girl is about 28-year-old Jessica Farris’ entanglement after sneaking her way into a psychological study as an anonymous girl. Trying to make it on her own in New York City, Jessica finds herself getting deeper and deeper into that stud, causing her to become paranoid and making her question everyone and everything.

Favorite Quote(s):

“One of them is lying. But who?” 

-Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet – it hasn’t technically come out yet.

Pages:
384

My Overall Rating:
4 – If I’m being completely honest, I was not happy with the December choices for Book of the Month. I chose this one purely because it was the newest book – it hadn’t been released yet. Thriller is one of the genres I try to avoid, yet this one paid off. It was, indeed, suspenseful, yet it was not scary. It didn’t feel like a plot that could happen to me, which helped keep my mind at ease. It had a very well thought out plot with solid twists. It kept me engaged, yet I didn’t get so wrapped up in it that I couldn’t sleep… because that’s why I generally avoid Thrillers…

Merriest Christmas

By Christmas, we’d landed in a much better place. Still not on the growth chart, Oaklee was maintaining her own curve.

Let Oaklee be Oaklee.

Aside from the Haakaa breast pump, I was only pumping once or twice a day – only when Oaklee was taking a full feed (roughly 125ml; approximately 4.25oz) by bottle. In just under 6 months, we finally made it to the place I’d anticipated starting. Oaklee was an exclusive breastfeeder; I was a part-time working mama who could potentially only pump 6 times per week. This is what we fought for.

12.24.17

“I’m eerily aware of how different Christmas could be this year if things had not gone the way they did. Praise Jesus for saving our souls. And praise Him for saving our Oaklee’s life. We are blessed beyond words.”

If, at Thanksgiving, we were going headstrong into the breastfeeding battle, by Christmas, we were finally beginning to consider ourselves victorious.

Back in early December, we’d crossed into new territory, only giving Oaklee bottles when mommy wasn’t there to breastfeed. We had a lot of uncertainty as we took that approach. Oaklee’s growth was being tracked by her regular pediatrician, her neurodevelopmental pediatrician, an in-home nutritionist, an Early On interventionist, a WIC counselor, and an in-home nurse through a local Maternal Infant Health Program. We received every response on the spectrum to her size/growth from these people. Some, like Oaklee’s regular pediatrician, were un-phased by our decision. Others, like neuro, were initially forcefully suggesting we change our decision.

But by Christmas, we’d landed in a much better place. Still not on the growth chart, Oaklee was maintaining her own curve.

Let Oaklee be Oaklee.

Aside from the Haakaa breast pump, I was only pumping once or twice a day – only when Oaklee was taking a full feed (roughly 125ml; approximately 4.25oz) by bottle. In just under 6 months, we finally made it to the place I’d anticipated starting. Oaklee was an exclusive breastfeeder; I was a part-time working mama who could potentially only pump 6 times per week. This is what we fought for.

A lot of moms don’t nurse to 6 months. Many don’t nurse at all. But at 6 months, I was just getting into the groove of things. At 6 months, I was at the beginning I’d expected. At 6 months, Oaklee and I could finally bond during feedings instead of simultaneously cry at attempts. At 6 months, it was beautiful.

Our greatest gift this year came in June. Our most joyful moment came in September. And our hearts were the merriest at Christmas.

We were blessed to have won the breastfeeding battle. We were blessed to have celebrated Christmas with our daughter at all.

In the stats:
Birth weight: 2lb, 12oz
Last known weight: 10lb 8oz (12.1.17)
Adjusted age: 13 weeks, 1 day
Actual age: 25 weeks, 3 days
Days in the hospital: 69
Days home: 110
Appointments since home: 21

Book Review – Winter Stroll

Winter Stroll is about the Quinn family, their lives as they revolve around the inn they manage on Nantucket Island, and the drama one family can incur in a year as they grow up into an entangled extended family.

I apologize for the additional book reviews coming in in these last weeks of the year. I’m backlogged as I’ve tried to space my posts out for a maximum of two per week, but I am also attempting to get each 2018 review posted in 2018. Sit tight. They’ll slow down again in 2019… I think.


Book 44 was my annual, no-good Christmas read. Each year, I go to the library and select a book purely because it has the “Christmas” sticker on its binding. Each year, I’m never really impressed, but it’s tradition.

Book 44:
Winter Stroll
by Elin Hilderbrand

Genre:
Romance, Domestic Fiction

Published:
October 2015

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Winter Stroll is about the Quinn family, their lives as they revolve around the inn they manage on Nantucket Island, and the drama one family can incur in a year as they grow up into an entangled extended family.

Favorite Quote(s):

“Some women, Ava realizes, would crumple in a pile and feel sorry for themselves, but not Jennifer. Jennifer puts on her gnome sweater.” 

-Elin Hilderbrand, Winter Stroll

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None noted.

Pages:
263

My Overall Rating:
2 – Chick lit used to be my genre of choice, so I like a good chick lit but this one just seemed beyond cheesey at times. While I appreciated the festive themes, I really struggled with the writing style. It felt like I was reading a 14-year-old girl’s journal. For example, the author would say phrases, and then repeat those phrases just to add an exclamation point at the end. Just to add the exclamation point! This is a major pet peeve of mine as it makes the writing seem immature to me, and it probably happened once every other page. The story had potential, but the writing was lacking.

Book Review – Little Bee

Little Bee is about the intermingling stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee and Sarah, a British journalist. When their paths cross on Sarah’s unlikely vacation to a beach in Nigeria, the two begin the process of learning what they would do to save their families, their selves and humanity. Two years later, skeletons in the closet, their paths cross once again and the two are lead to put into action their beliefs while watching fate play out. Can they save each other? Can they save themselves?

Book 43 was recommended by a friend – one who actually nabbed the book for me since she already owned it. It falls into what is probably my current favorite genre based on what I’ve chosen to read this year and what I’ve loved reading this year, so I had no issue deciding to squeeze it in this December.

Book 43:
Little Bee
by Chris Cleave

Genre:
Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

Published:
August 2008

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Little Bee is about the intermingling stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee and Sarah, a British journalist. When their paths cross on Sarah’s unlikely vacation to a beach in Nigeria, the two begin the process of learning what they would do to save their families, their selves and humanity. Two years later, skeletons in the closet, their paths cross once again and the two are lead to put into action their beliefs while watching fate play out. Can they save each other? Can they save themselves?

Favorite Quote(s):

“Nkiruka loved music and now I saw that she was right because life is extremely short and you cannot dance to current affairs.” 

-Chris Cleave, Little Bee

Awards (based upon my brief research):
Costa Book Award Nominee for Novel (2008)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2009)

Pages:
266

My Overall Rating:
3.5 – The story was great. It had all the right plot points, some elements of surprise, some characters who tugged at my heartstrings, but I felt like there could have been more. I could be wrong, but I think this type of action is a bit of an untapped market in the literary world, which makes me feel the author missed a teaching opportunity. I would have loved to learn more about what was going on in Nigeria at the time of the story. I would have loved to learn what the British thought of the situation. Instead, it felt like the reader was supposed to assume Nigeria was bad and refugees aren’t welcome elsewhere.

Book Review – All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See is about a German orphan and a blind French girl and their crossing paths through WWII. Marie-Laure flees Nazi occupied Paris with her father and a dangerous jewel per her father’s role at the Museum of Natural History. Werner, having proven his worth to the reich, gets snatched up early and sent to battle for his ability to track down the resistance by using math and building/fixing tracking instruments. As their stories collide, the reader  learns of the demands of war, the desire to do good and the devastation greed and power can cause.

Book 42 was a shared Little Free Library find from a friend and also the pick for December book club. It was intimidatingly large, but I cruised through in a week – partly because I had extra reading time and partly because I needed to know what happened.

Book 42:
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Published:
May 2014

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, All the Light We Cannot See is about a German orphan and a blind French girl and their crossing paths through WWII. Marie-Laure flees Nazi occupied Paris with her father and a dangerous jewel per her father’s role at the Museum of Natural History. Werner, having proven his worth to the reich, gets snatched up early and sent to battle for his ability to track down the resistance by using math and building/fixing tracking instruments. As their stories collide, the reader  learns of the demands of war, the desire to do good and the devastation greed and power can cause.

Favorite Quote(s):

“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.” 

-Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

Awards (based upon my brief research):
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Goodreads Choice Awards Best Historical Fiction
Audie Award for Fiction

Pages:
530

My Overall Rating:
4 – I had some definite issues with the flow of this book. The alternating time periods were one thing, but the alternating viewpoints that required the reader to figure out whose viewpoint they were reading rather than stating it in the title of each chapter drove me nuts. However, this story is gold. I loved that it was a European WWII story that did not focus on concentration camps. I loved the main characters – their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses, their roles in the war. I loved the fictional/mythical aspect of the story in regards to the dangerous jewel involved.

This might have been a 5 if I wasn’t constantly trying to figure out who was speaking and how old they were at the time.