And There Was Light

Review by Erin Reynolds

“And There Was Light” is the incredible account of Jacques Lusseyran, a blind youth who plays an important role in the French Resistance. From a fairy-tale beginning roaming in the fields near his grandparents home, to a climax in the concentration camps of Buchenwald, Lusseyran’s story leads the reader through his personal highs and lows while compelling the reader to consider his own.

This is more than a tale about a young man facing immense odds. Lusseyran probes the depths of friendship, love, truth and light and asks questions universal to man – why do we suffer? How do we endure? And what can we see when all around is darkness?

Lusseyran combines the depth of Solzhenitsyn, the poetry of Lewis, the profundity of Macdonald and the adventure of Twain in an unforgettable lesson about what can happen when the light outside of a human being is extinguished. In describing his own journey of finding inner light, he invites the sincere inquirer along the same pathway. In answer to his own question of “how can I be of any use to my country?”, he comes to surprising answers about the importance of personal influence, the power of desire and the light that comes to those who are not afraid of darkness.

Lusseyran has timeless lessons for every child, youth and adult; “And There Was Light” is a quick, engaging read that will change your perspective of what we call blindness and invite you to reconsider how to face your personal midnights with grace, influence and purpose.

Ms. Reynolds holds an M.A. in Education from George Wythe College and served as the Director of Distance Studies from 2006 to 2008.