The Book Thief

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is not a story about a family who hides a Jew. It is. But it's far more. Markus Zusak composes an unexplored world in the realm of World War II novels. Lonely, orphaned, and almost always hungry, Liesel Meminger catches onto the power of words, both written and oral, as she makes sense of her new milieu and recognizes her own worth. 

When Liesel arrives at her new foster parents home, in a new town, she is unsure of everything. By utilizing the raw innocence of a young heroine, Zusak is able to approach the sensitive subjects of Nazis, Jews, unemployment and insecurity as he weaves this unforgettable tale. The reader derives a unique perspective to life in Nazi Germany as Death is the one who narrates. Death describes his job as demanding, relentless and never ceasing in those years. Liesel caught his eye, or perhaps his soul, and he became attached to her young story. As he unfolds the details, that far advance Liesel's maturity, of her life, Zusak juxtaposes Death's comprehensive understanding and Liesel's finite, childlike awareness. The experience of forming an irreversible friendship with a Jew, putting on a good face for Hitler's Youth, and finding comfort in stolen books changes Liesel's life forever, and is sure to permanently alter the reader as well. Zusak engages young adult and adult readers in this New York Times Bestseller as they embark on a journey of altered perceptions and self discovery. It is a book to be enjoyed and recaptured countless times.