"I am haunted by humans" The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak Being an avid reader I have learned that not every book I read will be a heart-stopper. A book that will take over your life for one week. The books that can't be put down. These are the books I patiently wait for. I never know when opening the cover of a new book if it will be a page-turner. When I came across The Book Thief it was as if a prayer had been answered. It swept me up. It was a powerful broom and I was a small crumb of dirt sent flying into this story's atmosphere. I can hardly even put into words how much I love this book. I will not label it as my favorite. This book, however, did remind me how much I love reading. This story is a five-hundred page monster, and I am so glad I found it so it could gobble me up. Plot; note; this story is so huge and wonderful I will let the narrator assist in summarize the book. "It's just a small story really, about, among other things:" A girl, Liesel is ten years old when her brother dies and her mother leaves her with her new foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermman in Munich in the middle of WWII. Some words that shape the story. An accordionist, Hans Hubermann or "Papa" is part of the small percentage of German's who don't agree with the way of the Nazi's and the persecution of the Jews. Some fanatical Germans who control most aspects of life in Munich bringing war and propaganda. A Jewish fist fighter named Max who becomes closely tied with the Hubermanns and will eventually be one of Liesel's closest friends. And quite a lot of thievery of books and other things by the girl, Liesel. WWII, persecution, Germany, Hitler, and Nazi's. Many stories have been told about this time period. So what makes this one any different? As expressed in one of the themes surrounding this book; words are powerful. This book used words in a way that I have yet to see again. The words drag your eyes into the soul of the story. While reading I could see the basement of the Hubermann's house with the drop sheets hanging on the wall. As well as the paint cans that shielded the hidden Jew writing the Standover Man on the painted ripped sheets of Mien Kampf. Writing under the light of the oil lamps set so low that the light was barely visible in the corners of the dank dark room. This books is like a passport into these special and sometimes scary places. It is a fiction book, but I learned more about Germany in WWII than I did from my history book. Books are made from words. This is a fact that cannot be argued with. The words that make The Book Thief on top of the brilliant story and the unique characters make this story one of my favorites, and I have and will read many times. This book is wonderful. It has the factual details of WWII and paints an accurate image of what it was like for poor families at this time, but at the same time this book is interspersed with universal funny quirks of childhood. This book is set in a time of hardships that not many people can relate with, but this books succeeds in both being realistic and relatable through the stories of Liesel and the other colorful characters. These characters are the kind that end up being your friends. You know them, and after the book is completed I found myself wondering how they were. My fictional friends that I still miss from time to time, so that's is when I read it again to relive their adventures. Also the narrator is Death personified. He is presented as a guide throughout his story and isn't always so prevalent. What better narrator is there for a time and place containing so much death and destruction. My favorite quotation of this book is when death adds, “A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.” Zukas' words sing this story of tragedy with beauty. It is a story about a town in the midst of WWII, persecution, poverty, and death. It is a great book and you will love it regardless of the tragedy of WWII. Let the words show you why.
