# data[].attributes.body
USO Indo-Pacific and USO Europe | Middle East | Africa will host our monthly Overseas Virtual Book Club discussing "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson on November 13th at 2000 JST on Zoom.

Stay up to date with the Overseas Virtual Book Club by joining our Facebook Group: USO Overseas Virtual Book Club

Register here:

https://register.uso.org/a3IQK000000gFYv

#usoovbc #usoreading #bookclub

# data[].attributes.body
Do you enjoy USO Overseas Virtual Book Club? Let us know what you think: Post Event Survey

We appreciate your feedback as we strive to continue to support our service members, their families, and the community!

# data[].attributes.body
Since we're spread out across the world, please share your location (without sharing your exact address) on the padlet map! ** Feel free to share a quick bio in the thread, and/or directly on the padlet map (link below). -- What's your name? How do you identify (pronouns)? Where do you live?

USO OVBC Intros

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Overseas Virtual Book Club | Facebook | Linktree

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
OVBC Participants: Service members & military spouses connecting through reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
usoovbcdiscussionguides | Facebook | Linktree

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
USO Overseas Virtual Book Club Discussion Guides

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All the Light We Cannot See — Anthony Doerr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anthony Doerr was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of the story collections The Shell Collector and Memory Wall, the memoir Four Seasons in Rome, and the novels About Graceand All the Light We Cannot See, which was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. His newest novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, will be published on September 28, 2021.

Doerr's short stories and essays have won five O. Henry Prizes and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, New American Stories, The Best American Essays, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Fiction, and many other places. His work has been translated into over forty different languages and won the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, the Rome Prize, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA Fellowship, an Alex Award from the American Library Association, the National Magazine Award for Fiction, four Pushcart Prizes, two Pacific Northwest Book Awards, four Ohioana Book Awards, the 2010 Story Prize, which is considered the most prestigious prize in the U.S. for a collection of short stories, and the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award. All the Light We Cannot Seewas a #1 New York Times bestseller, remained on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 200 weeks, and is being adapted as a limited series by Netflix.

Doerr lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and two sons. Though he is often asked, as far as he knows he is not related to the late writer Harriet Doerr.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anthony Doerr was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of the story collections The Shell Collector and Memory Wall , the memoir Four Seasons in Rome , and the novels About Grace and All the Light We Cannot See , which was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

# data[].attributes.body
Instagram

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Author of All the Light We Cannot See, Four Seasons in Rome, and Memory Wall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All the Light We Cannot See | Official Trailer | Netflix

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
On Set of All The Light We Cannot See With Aria Mia Loberti & Louis Hofmann | Netflix

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All the Light We Cannot See Interview: Aria Mia Loberti Shares Her Life-Changing Audition Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Behind The Scenes Talk With Aria Mia Loberti & Louis Hofmann | Netflix

# data[].attributes.headline
Marie-Laure and Werner grow up in vastly different worlds. What values shape each of them, and how do those values change during the war?

# data[].attributes.subject
Marie-Laure and Werner grow up in vastly different worlds. What values shape each of them, and how do those values change during the war?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does Marie-Laure’s blindness influence the way we experience the story? In what ways does she “see” more clearly than others?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does Marie-Laure’s blindness influence the way we experience the story? In what ways does she “see” more clearly than others?

# data[].attributes.headline
Werner’s gift for radio engineering earns him a place in the Nazi system. To what extent is he responsible for the actions he takes within that system?

# data[].attributes.subject
Werner’s gift for radio engineering earns him a place in the Nazi system. To what extent is he responsible for the actions he takes within that system?

# data[].attributes.headline
Discuss Etienne’s character arc. How does trauma from one war affect his actions in the next?

# data[].attributes.subject
Discuss Etienne’s character arc. How does trauma from one war affect his actions in the next?

# data[].attributes.headline
What role does Jutta play in shaping Werner’s moral compass?

# data[].attributes.subject
What role does Jutta play in shaping Werner’s moral compass?

# data[].attributes.headline
What does the Sea of Flames diamond symbolize? How does its legend mirror or contrast with the human stories in the novel?

# data[].attributes.subject
What does the Sea of Flames diamond symbolize? How does its legend mirror or contrast with the human stories in the novel?

# data[].attributes.headline
The title refers to “light we cannot see.” What forms of unseen “light” (e.g., radio waves, kindness, truth) exist in the novel?

# data[].attributes.subject
The title refers to “light we cannot see.” What forms of unseen “light” (e.g., radio waves, kindness, truth) exist in the novel?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does Doerr explore the relationship between science and morality through Werner’s fascination with radio and technology?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does Doerr explore the relationship between science and morality through Werner’s fascination with radio and technology?

# data[].attributes.headline
The novel highlights invisible connections—between people, between actions, and across time. Which connections struck you most?

# data[].attributes.subject
The novel highlights invisible connections—between people, between actions, and across time. Which connections struck you most?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does All the Light We Cannot See challenge typical portrayals of heroism and villainy in war stories?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does All the Light We Cannot See challenge typical portrayals of heroism and villainy in war stories?

# data[].attributes.headline
The story alternates between two timelines and perspectives. How does this structure affect your understanding of the characters’ fates?

# data[].attributes.subject
The story alternates between two timelines and perspectives. How does this structure affect your understanding of the characters’ fates?

# data[].attributes.headline
Doerr’s prose is highly descriptive, even poetic. How does his attention to sensory detail (especially sound and touch) influence the tone?

# data[].attributes.subject
Doerr’s prose is highly descriptive, even poetic. How does his attention to sensory detail (especially sound and touch) influence the tone?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does the city of Saint-Malo function almost as a character in the story?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does the city of Saint-Malo function almost as a character in the story?

# data[].attributes.headline
Can innocence truly survive in wartime? Which characters maintain theirs, and which lose it?

# data[].attributes.subject
Can innocence truly survive in wartime? Which characters maintain theirs, and which lose it?

# data[].attributes.headline
At the end, Marie-Laure reflects that “open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.” What do you think this means in the context ofthe story?

# data[].attributes.subject
At the end, Marie-Laure reflects that “open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.” What do you think this means in the context ofthe story?

# data[].attributes.headline
Which changes from the book stood out most to you (added scenes, removed scenes, altered endings)? Why do you think the showrunners made those changes? For instance, the series extends the time Marie-Laure and Werner spend together (dance, a kiss) whereas in the book their meeting is brief.

# data[].attributes.subject
Which changes from the book stood out most to you (added scenes, removed scenes, altered endings)? Why do you think the showrunners made those changes? For instance, the series extends the time Marie-Laure and Werner spend together (dance, a kiss) whereas in the book their meeting is brief.

# data[].attributes.headline
The series omits or compresses parts of the novel’s epilogue and decades-later storyline. What effect does that have on your understanding of the characters’ futures?

# data[].attributes.subject
The series omits or compresses parts of the novel’s epilogue and decades-later storyline. What effect does that have on your understanding of the characters’ futures?

# data[].attributes.headline
Some emotionally darker or upsetting scenes from the book were removed for the show, to end on a more hopeful tone. Do you think this choice strengthens or weakens the story? Why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Some emotionally darker or upsetting scenes from the book were removed for the show, to end on a more hopeful tone. Do you think this choice strengthens or weakens the story? Why?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does showing internal thoughts or backstories in visual form (flashbacks, closeups, silence) compare to the novel’s narrative style? What’s gained or lost?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does showing internal thoughts or backstories in visual form (flashbacks, closeups, silence) compare to the novel’s narrative style? What’s gained or lost?

# data[].attributes.headline
In the adaptation, the casting of Aria Mia Loberti, a legally blind actress, was praised. How does this casting choice affect your perception of authenticity and representation?

# data[].attributes.subject
In the adaptation, the casting of Aria Mia Loberti, a legally blind actress, was praised. How does this casting choice affect your perception of authenticity and representation?

# data[].attributes.headline
How did the performances (especially of Marie-Laure, Werner, Daniel, Etienne) influence your sympathy or understanding of their decisions in the series?

# data[].attributes.subject
How did the performances (especially of Marie-Laure, Werner, Daniel, Etienne) influence your sympathy or understanding of their decisions in the series?

# data[].attributes.headline
Did any character feel underdeveloped in the adaptation compared to how you imagined them in the book? Which, and why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Did any character feel underdeveloped in the adaptation compared to how you imagined them in the book? Which, and why?

# data[].attributes.headline
The series occasionally rearranges or condenses timelines for pacing. Did this ever cause confusion or affect your emotional connection?

# data[].attributes.subject
The series occasionally rearranges or condenses timelines for pacing. Did this ever cause confusion or affect your emotional connection?

# data[].attributes.headline
The novel frequently emphasizes “unseen” connections (radio waves, intuition, faith). How effectively does the show capture that invisible quality visually or auditorily?

# data[].attributes.subject
The novel frequently emphasizes “unseen” connections (radio waves, intuition, faith). How effectively does the show capture that invisible quality visually or auditorily?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does the score and sound design (music, silence, ambient sound) in the series contribute to its emotional tone and storytelling?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does the score and sound design (music, silence, ambient sound) in the series contribute to its emotional tone and storytelling?

# data[].attributes.headline
The series shifts some moral ambiguity (especially around Werner) through visual storytelling. Do you think it softens or clarifies his character arc?

# data[].attributes.subject
The series shifts some moral ambiguity (especially around Werner) through visual storytelling. Do you think it softens or clarifies his character arc?

# data[].attributes.headline
If you read the book after watching the series (or vice versa), did your experience of the story change? Which version (book or show) felt more powerful or satisfying, and why?

# data[].attributes.subject
If you read the book after watching the series (or vice versa), did your experience of the story change? Which version (book or show) felt more powerful or satisfying, and why?

# data[].attributes.headline
In some reviews, critics felt that compressing a long, rich novel into 4 episodes resulted in a shallower narrative. Do you agree or disagree, and with what examples?

# data[].attributes.subject
In some reviews, critics felt that compressing a long, rich novel into 4 episodes resulted in a shallower narrative. Do you agree or disagree, and with what examples?

# data[].attributes.headline
What scenes or moments in the series lingered with you (visually or emotionally) that might not have in the novel?

# data[].attributes.subject
What scenes or moments in the series lingered with you (visually or emotionally) that might not have in the novel?

# data[].attributes.headline
If you were adapting this story to screen, what would you have kept or changed differently?

# data[].attributes.subject
If you were adapting this story to screen, what would you have kept or changed differently?

# data[].attributes.body
"You know the greatest lesson of history? It's that history is whatever the victors say it is. That's the lesson. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history. We act in our own self-interest. Of course we do. Name me a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests are."

# data[].attributes.body
Darkness lasts not even for one second when you turn on the light.