There is so much I loved about All the Light We Cannot See. I was captivated by the poetic writing, I cared about the characters and I really, really wanted to know what would happen. At times my eyes were glued to the page for hours, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way towards a book. However, there were a few negative points, which I will get to in a few moments. First of all, I will set the scene…
My Neapolitan grandmother (or ‘nonna’ as the Italians would say) married a British officer posted in Naples in 1944. It is quite likely that Norman Lewis, an Intelligence Officer also there at that time, would have had to interview both of my grandparents to judge the suitability of the match. Marriage with Italian civilians was discouraged and lots of officers who applied for permission were turned down and sent away from Naples. So really, my grandparents were lucky.
I have always been interested in my grandmother’s home country and after her death a couple of years ago, I have only ever become more curious about the city she grew up in. After marrying my grandfather, she moved to England and only returned to Naples for holidays a couple of times a year. So when she told stories about Naples, it was always about the ‘old days’ before and during the Second World War. Continue reading
Bundle of Books 