<P> The museum where Marie - Laure's father works as a locksmith is rumored to house an exquisite blue diamond of immeasurable value, with beautiful dancing "red flames" at its center: According to legend, however, the diamond is cursed: whoever keeps the "Sea of Flames" cannot die but their loved ones will be stricken with unending misfortunes . </P> <P> Meanwhile, in Germany, 8 - year - old Werner Pfennig is an orphan in the coal - mining town of Zollverein . He and his sister Jutta find a broken short - wave radio behind the Children's Home where they live . Werner manages to repair the radio and his natural skill for circuitry becomes apparent . He and Jutta tune in and listen to a variety of programs, including a regular broadcast from France hosted by an older gentleman who shares stories about the world of science, skillfully framed so that even younger listeners can understand . </P> <P> When Germany invades France in 1940, Marie - Laure and her father flee from Paris to the coastal town of Saint - Malo to take refuge with her great - uncle Etienne, a recluse suffering shell - shock from the Great War . Etienne spends all his days indoors, but reveals to Marie - Laure that along with his deceased brother Henri, the two used to broadcast lessons to children from a large radio inside the chimney, with these lessons being the ones Werner and Jutta listened to . Unbeknownst to Marie - Laure, her father has been entrusted with the Sea of Flames or one of three exact copies . The four jewels look very much alike, although three are worthless fakes . As a diversion, each of the four is given to a different protector, none of whom knows whether his blue stone is the real priceless gem or the look - alike fake . Each protector is charged to keep his jewel out of the Germans' hands . Marie - Laure's father conceals his stone in a small wooden replica of Etienne's house, a removable puzzle box which fits within the city model he makes of Saint - Malo . This model is placed at the foot of Marie - Laure's bed, where she spends hours learning the new town with her fingers before finally venturing out . </P> <P> The father, who has been noticed drawing buildings and measuring distances in the town, is arrested by the Germans on suspicion of espionage and disappears into the Nazi prison camp system, leaving Marie - Laure alone with Etienne and Madame Manec, (who is Etienne's longtime maid and housekeeper). </P>

All the light we cannot see french town