Release date: March 14th, 2006
Series: / standalone
Pages: 552
Genre: Historical fiction
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
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Even death has a heart
This book. This book. It's perfection.
Short description of the storyline: It's happening in Germany, at the time of II. WW and holocaust. We have a first-person telling us this story (and I'm not quite giving up who exactly it is, but it can be figured out pretty quickly) and we follow the life of Liesel Meminger. Liesel's life isn't kind to her; when she's on the train on her way to get adopted with her mother and her younger brother, she watches him die on the train.
At her brother's funeral, she steals her first book, even though she doesn't know how to read at that time.
A new life comes for Liesel; she gets new parents, new friends and she also finds love in books and words. But the war comes, too. And with war come bombs.
Liesel's foster parents are hiding a big secret in their basement - a Jew named Max.
Jew = bad. This is the rule that Germans had at the time. A lot of the times, Liesel could see long lines people being lead past their house - lines of 'Maxs' - hungry and weak Jews. Liesel knew they were all going to a concentration camp near their house, Dachau. She also knew they were leading them to death.
It kills me sometimes, how people die.
This book now holds a special place in my heart and soul. It's the kind of book that you read and never forget - not only because it has a beautifully tragic story, but because it's written in such a beautiful and special, almost poetic, way. I loved it because it didn't only focus on the Jews and their destiny but on the war overall and all the other people, showing that no one was safe at the time and they were all involved in some way.
I truly recommend this book to everyone because I promise it's an unforgetful read. It's written in such a good way that it truly captures your attention and crawls deep into your soul.
I have hated the words and I have loved them and I hope, I have made them right.
Markus Zusak is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief , which spent more than a decade on the New York Times bestseller list, and is translated into more than forty languages – establishing Zusak as one of the most successful authors to come out of Australia.
To date, Zusak has held the number one position at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the New York Times bestseller list, as well as in countries across South America, Europe and Asia.
His books, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, When Dogs Cry (also titled Getting the Girl ), The Messenger (or I am the Messenger ) and The Book Thief have been awarded numerous honours ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers.
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