THE BOOK THIEF

THE BOOK THIEF   by Markus Zusak  

- Australian Writer  (YA fiction)

WATCH THIS INTERVIEW WITH MARKUS TO SEE WHAT INSPIRED HIM TO WRITE THIS BOOK...

I so loved this unforgettable book. I was taken on an incredible journey from the very first page and by the time I got to the final chapters, I was ‘sobbing’ all the way to the end.  With ‘death’ as the narrator, you may think this would be gruesome, but on the contrary, it is told in such a sensitive way it astonished me. Death explains at the start that he can be cheerful, agreeable, amiable and fair. He refers to himself as the 'soul carrier'.  It was like no other book I have ever read… it touched my soul.

I actually forgot it was ‘fiction’ the descriptions were so real. It truly mesmerized me and I found myself re-reading descriptions and sentences over and over. It was wonderful reading it on my Kindle as I highlighted many of the precious thoughts and sentences I wanted to revisit.  I also loved the way it flowed, previewing what was going to happen in each chapter was really different, along with many facts.

Set during WWII, (yes another war story… why do I do it to myself), you meet a small girl named Liesel Meminger who is travelling with her mother and brother, to live with her new foster parents outside Munich. On the way her brother dies and they need to bury him. It is snowing and at the site of the grave Liesel discovers a book stuck in the snow. She secretly takes it, although she doesn’t know how to read.

Liesel's foster mother is rather scary and harsh, but she grows to love her foster father, who plays the accordion and through the long nights of her loneliness and nightmares, and begins to teach her to read her only book. From there her love of reading and books grows until she must steal another, and another. Her foster parents hide a Jew in their basement and they must keep this a secret, even from her best friend Rudy, as their lives depend on it.

The story tells of being part of the Hitler Youth, the rationing of food, the difference between the poor and rich during war, the burning of books on Hitler’s birthday, the mayor’s library, giving a gift when you have nothing to give, and much more. With the patience of her foster father Liesel learns to read so well that during the bombing raids she reads to her neighbours, as they are huddled in the basement, bombs landing close by. I’m sure I’ll be reading this novel many more times.

From now on I will try to remember the colours of the day, not just it’s beginning and end.