Dear Great Book Guru, I had a wonderful time at the Sea Cliff Beach Committee’s Pub Crawl 2015 last weekend.  Despite the cold, the snow, the ravaged roads and streets, my friends and I had so much fun! At one of the pub stops, I heard a group of revelers discussing a book set in World War II about two young people with conflicting loyalties.  Any thoughts?  Very Satisfied Pub Crawler

Dear Pub Crawler, What a fabulous night! The Beach Committee is to be congratulated on this great community building event, and yes, I have read ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr in which a young blind French girl and an orphaned German boy lead parallel existences. Marie Laure’s father is the keeper of thousands of keys for the French Museum of Natural History and in this role he has created a miniature world for his daughter to inhabit and master.  Through his interest in radios, the boy Werner learns about stars and galaxies that transport him far beyond his everyday life.  In short alternating chapters, we hear the voices of these two young people as they struggle with the emotional and physical deprivations of war. Yet there is a fairy tale quality to this book and when the young people’s lives finally intersect in the closing chapters, we realize the universal ties that connect us all.   Recommended!