This is the story of a true romance between a nerdy guy who has a fascination with light and science, whose eyes, ironically, were damaged by mustard gas in WW1, and the shy, bookkeeping daughter of a glass-blower. It takes place in the 1920's and 30's in North Carolina, and involves the coming of the Great Depression, the New Deal and World War 2. Neither are great brains or beauties, but they are truly great at the art of loving someone whole-heartedly. At play throughout the book are all kinds of forms of light, from x-rays to meteor showers, to the phosphorescent glow of fish, to the Atom bomb. They are unable to have children, but fate bestows a baby boy on them, whom they call "Lightfoot", and he is their greatest joy. Their lives were not easy, but they faced great adversity together with only their true love to keep them going. They were simple people whose lives were made not-so-simple by the times in which they lived.

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I read this book because I grew up in Oak Ridge TN and someone had mentioned to me that part of this book took place in OR. Yes, but a very small part. Knoxvillians will fare better, as much of the first 1/2 of the book is set in pre-WWII Knoxville.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. The writing is almost poetic (if you read "Ahab's Wife", it is that style of writing, although not that plot)It follows a young man who has returned from WWI through his marriage and life in East Tennessee in the years before WWII.

I don't know that I will read other works by this author, but I'm very glad I read this one.

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Fantastic, long, engrossing book. Set in Tennessee between WW1 and WW 2, it has great characters and ties in historical events.

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