The Book Thief: A Review

By Zadie Morrison

Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" is a haunting and beautifully written novel set in Nazi Germany. While not primarily a romance, the story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl growing up in the midst of war, and explores her relationships, including a poignant connection with a Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Death follows Liesel, particular in the opening scene where "Death" pockets Liesel's notebook after she leaves it, forgotten in her grief, amongst the destruction that was once her street, her home, and carries it with him. Liesel is adopted by Hans and Rosa Herbermann, poor Germans who are given a small allowance to take her in. Hans, a tall, quiet man with silver eyes, is a painter and plays the accordian. He is warm and grows close to Liesel quickly, teaching her how to read and write. Rosa is gruff and swears a lot but has a big heart, and does laundry for rich people in the town. Liesel becomes best friends with her neighbour Rudy, a boy with "hair the colour of lemons" who idolizes the black Olympic champion sprinter Jesse Owens, and hopes to be like him one day.

Hans, being a German who does not hate Jews, though he knows the risk he and his family are taking, lets a Jewish man of his friend who died in WW1 live in the basement. The man, named Max, become close friends with Liesel, and he writes an beautiful story for her called The Standover Man.

The book's peculiar narrator: is death. Through this story, death watches, he foreshadows, and he sows. The novel's exploration of love, loss, and the power of words is both heart-wrenching and unforgettable.