She goes blind as a young girl and she has to completely change how she lives, but her Papa is so awesome in how he's so optimistic and open to making sure she can be an independent woman despite her handicap. It’s a dangerous world for a blind girl especially when she’s away from what’s familiar but she manages to survive and thrive. I love her fascination with the tea and one of her favorite animals being snails. Marie-Laure is such an interesting character. The Characters: Because this book takes place over such a long time, you get to know each character so well. I know they’re realistic but it’s just sad. My only dislike of the book is the ending for some of the characters. There aren’t any guns blazing but the subtle acts that the characters do to show that they have hope for a better world is inspiring. There are also so many acts of subtle defiance. For example, Von Rumpel is an expert on jewelry and when he’s going through the wedding rings of captured Jews so flippantly it sends chills down your spine. There are definitely many subtle chilling moments in the story but it’s never overblown and it subtly makes it even more powerful. W e are mice and the sky sails with hawks. It flows so well and it feels so true to the time period. The prose is so pretty and carefully crafted. There are a few other scattered POVs but there are three main ones. It follows the before, during, and after experiences of three people in the World War II era. A legendary cursed jewel called the Sea of Flames and a children’s radio broadcast connects each of the points of views which is a really intriguing factor. The Plot: The plot is slow and takes place over years, but it's never boring. I had a friend push me to read this one and I'm so glad I did! I haven't read historical fiction in a while and this is such a beautifully written book! Publisher: Scribner Reprint edition (April 4, 2017)

Strayborn by E.E. Rawls