Day 1206: All the Light We Cannot See

We've read many memorable books over the years, and All the Light We Cannot See, will stay with me for a long time.  Mary showed a short video of the author speaking about how he came up with characters and storylines.  First, he knew he wanted to write a story about the power of a voice coming across the airwaves. The invention of radios was a transformational moment in time.  It's something we take for granted now, but in the early twentieth century, it was a powerful instrument.

Werner and Jutta, the main characters, are enthralled by radios, and the messages, music and stories they hear.  Radio connects them to the wider world.    In an interesting connection, while in the army Colin was a radioman and so was Kate's husband, Billy.  Every one of us had a relative who served in WWII and was changed forever by their experiences.

Next, he created a character who was trapped, both literally and figuratively.  Werner.  A young orphaned German boy, gifted in electronics and mathematics, who seeks an escape from working in the mines.  Then, on a book tour, he happened to visit Saint Malo and learned that it was nearly destroyed by American bombing in late 1944.  He knew this would be the setting for his story.  I won't reveal any more, you'll want to discover the rest.

Quest supplies

We spent a few hours organizing food, medical supplies, maps, pots and pans for the hike on Saturday.  A cold front moved through late this afternoon and brought heavy rain, high wind and lightning.  Later this week, we may have snow!  For Saturday, the prediction is for 45 degrees and cloudy.  We'll be ok if it doesn't rain.  I always tell the kids, if you are wearing all your clothes, your pack will be lighter!

Ominous clouds over Walmart this afternoon.