The Book Thief book review

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany and the unusual narrator is Death.  He tells the tale of Liesel Memenger, a young girl sent to live with a German couple by her 'communist' mother.  The relationships between Liesel and her adoptive parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, form the basis for this evocative book, but all along the spectre of Nazi Germany haunts them as much as Death himself.

Liesel does not want to live with the Hubermann's and the hard rules of Rosa make the transition difficult, but the quiet understanding of Hans brings her out of herself and they soon begin to use words to form a strong bond.  Liesel also makes friends with her young neighbour Rudy Steiner, a beautiful character obsessed with Jesse Owens who, like Liesel and Hans, show the caring side of humanity in stark contrast to the inhumanity of the other characters in the book, from committed Nazi's to those who turn a blind eye to the suffering of others in order to save their own skins. 

There are many stories within the story too.  For example, we witness a committed Nazi sympathiser shopkeeper turn into a woman bowed by grief due to the actions of her only remaining son and Hans himself has an illuminating backstory which is only revealed when Max Vandenburg comes to stay, putting the family at great risk as he is Jewish.  Hans is in debt to Max's father who saved his life in the First World War and through these dangerous circumstances, Liesel soon comes to love her new secret friend, who whitewashes over his talisman, a copy of Mein Kampf, to write and illustrate her a story as a gift when he has nothing else he can give.  It is moments like these, the minutiae of everyday life in Nazi Germany, that makes this book so special, because when combined with the terrible events that affect the ordinary people caught up in the war, we can see and feel history and herein lies the skill of Zusak.  The Australian author has said that the book was inspired by two real life events that his parents told him about; the bombing of Munich and a teenage boy offering bread to an emaciated Jew being marched through the streets that ended with both the boy and the Jewish prisoner being whipped by a soldier.

A number one New York Times bestseller, the book is marketed for both older children and adults and I believe this book is a fine example of a novel that crosses readerships.  It should be read by all and this life-affirming, thought-provoking story will live on in your mind long after you have turned the last page.

Truly a book that should be read by all.                                                                        10/10

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