Books I Love: The Book Thief

The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak is the story of Liesel Meminger who acquires her first book - The Gravedigger's Handbook - when on their way to Munich to foster parents, her 6 year old brother dies and is buried near the train tracks. (Their mother has disappeared and their father taken away, branded as a communist).

Death narrates Liesel's ordeal and resilience as an abandoned child growing up with foster parents in war time Germany. Books gave her solace and enabled her survival. How she had acquired these books spoke of her determination.

This book was one we discussed at a Border's Book Club meeting a couple of years ago. It was recommended by someone in the group (I cannot remember who exactly). I would not have found out how good this book is otherwise, thank you.

"Strange - is it not? - that of the myriads who
Before us passed the door of Darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the road
Which to discover we must travel too."  Omar Khayyam - Rubaiyat

Ex Libris CNB 1784

My copy of The Book Thief (CNB 2011)