Our library participates in a community-wide reading program called "Everybody Reads". The idea is to choose one book that anyone can read - a really large-scale book club of sorts. The author is invited to speak at several meetings around the region. (This is not a new concept. Many people have been doing it for years.)
This year, the book was All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. As it happens, the friendly book club I am a part of read this book earlier this summer. I don't believe there was any connection to the "Everybody Reads" program. It was more a matter of one of the members saying, "I'm reading All the Light..." and the rest of us saying, "Hmm, maybe we should read that for next month". Or something to that effect.
Sidenote #1- Several of my reader friends told me not to read this book. You can read my original post about this book here. I will reiterate that I am very glad I read this book. The writing is beautiful, and although it is incredibly sad, there is also goodness, and that for me outweighs the sadness. I am currently re-reading it, and since I already know where the very sad parts are, I am just skipping them, and enjoying the rest of it! Ah, the joys of re-reading.
Sidenote #2 - When this book was picked for the program, I think it was just a very well-reviewed book. Since then, it has won the Pulitzer Prize! I'm pretty sure he could have backed out on his committment to our very small library, but he stayed true to his word and the date was set for November 12, 2015.
The evening finally came. Last Thursday, Anthony Doerr came to Lewiston, and I actually got to hear him speak, and get two books signed by him. One for myself, and one for my sister who also loved the book. It is a VERY late birthday present for her, although she knew it would be late, and to be accurate, my presents to her are ALWAYS late, so its nothing out of the norm. :) My good friend, and fellow book club member, Heidi, and I signed up, a month or so ago. I was a little nervous I wouldn't make it because Kristin had her wisdom teeth out that morning, and I knew if she was having a hard night that I would stay home. She assured me she was fine, and I made it!!
I was unsure what kind of speaker he would be. His picture at the back of the book doesn't really give any indication. In a nutshell, he didn't disappoint. The program was only an hour - a 1/2 hour of him talking about his 10-year journey to the completed novel, and another 1/2 hour of questions. (Oh, how I wanted to ask him a question, but my head was completely empty! Why didn't I even just ask him to read a favorite part to us?? Blast!! I also could have listened to him for longer than an hour, but I suppose speaking at 4 different events in 2 days is exhausting, so I mustn't be greedy.
He had audience members read 10 quotes that chronicled his journey from conception to finish. One of my favorites was this quote by Alexander Solzhenitzyn.
“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
Mr. Doerr wanted his readers to develop empathy for Werner, a main character who is German, and trained at a renowned school for boys and later served in Hitler's army during WWII. I would say he acheived his goal.
I could gush on, but I will end by saying that I'm quite certain I will never be in the same room as a Pulitzer Prize winner. It was a truly wonderful evening, and I'm grateful I was able to be there.
