My Alternate Ending to All The Light We Cannot See.

Daily writing prompt

If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be?

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I’ve read many books over the years and I’ve had my share of favourite endings and not-so-favourite endings. A few months ago, I borrowed All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr from the library, and the ending of this book got me pondering for quite a while.

Set amidst the backdrop of World War II, the novel revolves around Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a gifted orphaned German boy. Their paths cross during the turmoil of war.

In the novel, Werner’s story ends too soon, and he never had the chance to heal from the effects of the war.

I really wished he had survived.

And if he had survived, he would have returned to his sister and slowly built a life and a home. He would have spent years processing the effects of the war and the choices he made as a soldier. He would understand the price war had on all those involved – whether on the frontlines, left behind at home, or the innocent victims.

In my ending, years later, he meets Marie-Laure by chance, or so it seems. They talk about the war from their own perspectives, even if they don’t fully understand each other’s experiences. Over the years, their connection blossoms into a friendship that withstands the coldness and cruelty of war.

The End