• All the Light We Cannot See

  • A Novel
  • By: Anthony Doerr
  • Narrated by: Zach Appelman
  • Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (63,979 ratings)

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All the Light We Cannot See  By  cover art

All the Light We Cannot See

By: Anthony Doerr
Narrated by: Zach Appelman
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Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2015 Audie Award for Fiction

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is 12, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

©2014 Anthony Doerr (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio

Featured Article: The Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks


Often based on real people, events, and scenarios, historical fiction gives us the opportunity to learn about worlds and times we will never experience while introducing fascinating characters and stories set in their midst. Sometimes, the genre can even give us a peek into hidden storylines that routinely go unmentioned in traditional history books, showing us that those of ages past are perhaps not so different from ourselves.

What listeners say about All the Light We Cannot See

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    42,561
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    14,609
  • 3 Stars
    4,841
  • 2 Stars
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
    4,452
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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So beautifully written...

Heartbreakingly beautiful story. Perfectly performed. I loved this book, definitely recommend to anyone who listens/reads.

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Wonderful book

Couldn't put it down.
The writing was superb.

I have been reading a few books lately In this era. This will make a great movie.

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Very intriguing narrative

I listened to this book in audio format and found it to be very intense and intriguing. The story was based on the war between France and Germany and how it affected the lives of two young people on opposing sides and how their encounter affected their lives.

I must say that I felt a keen sadness after reading this book, but war is not a happy event. The all truistic narrative elicited genuine empathy for their story, a story I will not soon forget, which is directly attributable to the author's research and ability to make the story "real."

If you want a feel good book, this book is probably not for you. If you want a book that makes you feel something, you will probably enjoy it.

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The best book I've read in ages!

What did you love best about All the Light We Cannot See?

I've been recently frustrated with the quality of modern novels...but this one did not disappoint! Doerr is a very talented writer who weaves a masterful World War II story that captures the reader's interest, imagination and love! I hope he continues to write!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book. Challenging to listen to.

This is a great book but it's not one you can turn on while you're working or driving. Because of the way the story bounces around you really have to be paying attention. Totally worth it.

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One of the best books ..

This is an amazing book... I was so involved with the characters.. Being the daughter of a holocaust survivor it struck a special note.. The humanity is the most moving element of this wonderful story.u

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Beautifully Woven Book

I love history, and nearly always prefer non-fictional history. This one is so well-researched and so entirely believable that I could find no fault. I believe it's a book all of us should read, and not only to help us understand WWII better, but to help us understand.

Some readers I know were irritable about the back and forth chapters whisking us from one character in France and the other major character in Germany. I guess I mention that because I don't get why on the world readers like that complain. It was easy for me to follow, and I figure that any reader with a smidgen of patience would figure it out, too. For me, it made the book easier to read, and moved the story right a long.

The language and imagery are profoundly lovely.

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You get completely lost in the story!

I listen to there books while I drive to and from work. There were days that I completely forgot I was driving all together. I became so engrossed in this book, that I had lost all sense for anything else. amazing story.

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I was entertained

Good story, good reading voice, very enjoyable listening experience. I highly recommend it. I was not disappointed.

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Highly recommend

Just keep in mind that this is a war novel not a romance novel. A great read, difficult to put down.

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