Title – The Book Thief

Author – Marcus Zusak

Genre – Historical Fiction

Here is a small fact, you are going to die. Thus begins the novel The Book Thief. Written against the background of World War II and Hitler’s Germany, Marcus Zusak takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The protagonist Leslie Meminger is introduced to us in a train where she is with her mother and brother, or should I say a corpse? Her father, nowhere to be seen, probably at war. With two guards breathing over them, Leslie cries over her brother’s death and sees him to the grave. They were taken to be left under foster care. At his burial, Leslie finds her first book The Gravedigger’s Handbook and she carries that to Himmel, her foster home, thus becoming the apt suitor for the title The Book Thief.

The Hubermans, Rosa and Han become Leslie’s world. Rosa is a little curt and rude but Hans showers his love on Leslie. He encourages her to read and entertains her by playing the accordion. Himmel Street also brings along her friend Rudy Steiner and several other boys with whom she attends school.

The story travels through Leslie and her foster parents. She is all of 13-14, and faces all hardships in life. Her foster parents and she give shelter to a Jew named Max, who happened to be Hans’ friend’s son. Leslie gets a purpose to get or should I say steal new books from the Mayor’s house. The purpose is to read it out to Max.

War intensifies and Hitler’s men become more brutal than before. They parade the Jews and after a long stay, Max also is taken off by them. Himmel Street is bombed and Leslie loses her parents and friends in the bombing.

The narration is made more impactful by the narrator who is there with us from the railway coach where Leslie lost her brother. Wondering who the narrator is? Well, not Leslie for sure. Read the book and find out.

Overall a heart wrenching tale that leaves you teary eyed.