The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I am involved in a book club and we read this book as our August choice.  I am so thankful for our book club, because I don't think I would have read this wonderful book otherwise!  Thanks, Jena, you have chosen some good ones. 

This book is the story of Liesel Meminger a little girl who is given into foster care by her mother to Hans and Rosa Hubermann.  The story takes place in Germany right before WWII and throughout the war.  The narrator of this story, though, is not Liesel, it is Death. 

Death is an omniscient narrator.  At times the reader may actually feel sorry for him and all that he has to do.  One of the interesting characteristics of Death is that he is attracted to colors.  He loves colors.  One of the first scenes of the story is death focusing on the colors of the swastika.  It was quite an image!

Liesel is a feisty young girl trying to find her way in life and with her new family.  She is the book thief.  She steals her first book upon the death of her brother, The Gravedigger's Handbook.  Her new Papa, Hans, lovingly teaches her how to read it.  Liesel acquires other books throughout the course of the story including a book that didn't get burned during one of Hitler's book burning bonfires.  She was seen stealing this book, though, by the mayor's wife, Ilsa Hermann.  This opens up an interesting relationship yet to come.

Hans is a loving man who comes to love Liesel like his own daughter.  Rosa is a tough, cursing, hard woman.  Yet she loves Liesel in her own way too.  We are also introduced to Rudy, Liesel's best friend.  Another very important character is Max, a German Jew that hides in the Hubermann home. 

I don't want to give away too much of this story, because my book club ladies haven't discussed this one yet!  (Just in case one of them were to read this post.)  There is so much to this novel also for me to really do it justice too with my review.  Zusak wrote a novel that was classified as young adult, but I think many adults would benefit from reading this book about family, friendship, history, humanity, the horrors of World War II, and above all love.