The Goldfinch

Show Notes

Lisa and her guest Kirsten Plonner have an in-depth conversation about All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This is a Pulitzer Winner and fictional book about World War II. This episode includes spoilers to the book and is a mature conversation that isn’t appropriate for young children. 

 Links to articles that Lisa and her guest discussed

 The New York Times described how exquisitely realized the character of Marie-Laure was portrayed but argued that Werner was a character who lacked development. 

 Doerr spoke to NPR about how he came up with the idea of the book. He was on a subway in 2004 going under the city when a person was complaining about losing cell reception in 2004. That gave him the idea about using the radio and the concept that hearing strangers on the other end is actually a miracle. He visited Saint-Malo during a book tour and discovered this town was nearly destroyed in World War II. 

The New Republic argues the book falls short on its treatment of WWII by normalizing the Nazi past. 

 Books discussed on the show:  

·      The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

·      The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

·      Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

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*The book titles mentioned include affiliate links. You can support the podcast by purchasing a book with the links because the podcast receives a small commission.