I have just completed ‘All The Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr, a book set in World War 2, and draws the reader in from a German perspective on the one side, as well as French on the other.
My grandfather was seventeen when he joined the war. He was enlisted with his older brother. At some point they were captured in Italy, and he became a prisoner of war. We grew up knowing not to ask him about the war. It was a topic not to be spoken of. The only words he told me was that he would never refuse anyone a slice of bread if they were hungry, because he knows what real hunger feels like. After I was much older and after my grandmother passed away, he dusted off an old typewriter, and typed up some parts of his experience. He kept it very factual and to the point. Dates, locations, names of places.
Except for the ending. After the war had ended he and his brother were waiting for the ship to take them home. They went with a friend to Scotland. And it was there that he would meet the most beautiful girl who would become his wife. They would celebrate fifty years of marriage, 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
My grandparents would not have met if there had been no war. I would not be here. Or my children. History opens to the future. In darkness, there is light we cannot see.
This brought tears to my eyes. You are exactly right. We sometimes have to endure a lot of painful things in our lives, but in the end, we see the reason why.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It’s an extreme example, but I somehow feel linked in a way. I am a product of the war that happened.
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And it’s such a wonderful example! 😉
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site and commented:
A very great story by a very great lady named Vonita.
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Thank you 😊
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You are welcome.
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This was a gentle reminder that good can come out of bad things or tragic events, Vonita.
My grandparents met on a street corner in NYCity. They were from two different backgrounds, Grandma was embarrassed about Germany. She was a daughter of a single mother. My Grandpa was from a working class family from Sweden. He was confident and his family was bright and chose education to further their lives. They balanced their life together while the bad partsseemed to melt away, too. ❤
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That’s a beautiful story, thanks for sharing, Robin!
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“All the Light We Cannot See” is an excellent book. My family has a history of survival from WW2 also. Thank-you for sharing your story.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it! Glad to hear about your family too, thank you! xo
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Love it.I am new in this wordPress. But enjoying ur posts
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Thank you, and welcome to WordPress! We have a wonderful community here 😀
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Thanks dearee
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All the Light I Cannot See is a stunning book. Thank you for sharing your story.
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Thank you for reading! It was a stunning book, I loved it 😊
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