The Book Thief is the fictional story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II. Written by Markus Zusak, it describes the life and hardships of Liesel while living under the Nazis’ totalitarian regime.
Liesel faces many struggles and challenges throughout the story. After her father is taken away and her brother dies, she is sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubberman. Living there, there are many hardships and challenges that await her. Narrated by Death, the novel describes Liesel’s adventures, everything between hiding a jew in the basement and stealing books from the mayor’s library. While Adolph Hitler’s convincing words spread like wildfire throughout Germany, the power of words and the idea of them being good or evil becomes a strong theme throughout the novel.
I greatly enjoyed The Book Thief. Although it contains some graphic violence and very huge spoilers, I could not stop reading it. It tells some interesting factual information and an interesting point of view on World War II.
Alex Dines is a junior in the Gifted program at Hahnville High. He enjoys playing piano and guitar, the military, and history.
Editor’s note: Book reviews are published regularly in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.
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