This time, I read much more slowly to revel in the beauty of the language, and the exquisitely drawn characters. Marie- Laure is representative of all that is good, as is Werner's sister Jutta. Werner is good too, but he has to come through some challenges to his character before he does become a good person. He was able to wade through the cracks at the boys' camp he was sent to because he is smart and he has an affinity for radios, a useful tool for the Germans. But he stood by and watched his friend Frederick destroyed without speaking up. Volksheimer is a hit man, basically, but is like a father to young Werner, and says often of him " what you could be!" Papa is so devoted to his daughter and the Musée in Paris that it eventually leads to his imprisonment and likely his death.
Such care was taken in the writing of this novel, and it is for that reason that I read it slowly, and really did not want it to end. Doerr ties the three stories together so masterfully - Marie-Laure, Werner, and Von Rumpel. I just can't say enough about this book!
