The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is the story of many things. It's a story of the Holocaust, friendship, love, acceptance, and hardship all told by Death itself. Leisel has come to stay with the Hubermanns, an older couple looking for an addition to their family. Origianlly Leisel and her brother were to become the Hubermann's foster children, but on their journey to their new home Leisel's brother dies on the train. Distraught over the loss of her brother she is woken every night by horrific nightmares, but Hans Hubermann (aka Papa) is always there to comfort her. Papa even teaches Leisel how to read and write. They soon forge a bond together that becomes so strong that Leisel can't imagine her life without him. Once Leisel learns to read she is addicted to words and soon gets addicted to stealing books. They come from an assorted number of places, including the Mayor's house. Over the years at the Hubermann's house Leisel befriends a Jew, her next door neighbor, and grows into a wonderful person. Will the war tear her beloved family apart?

This is a brilliant book. I can't believe it took me two years to finally get around to reading it. I know my summary was a little short, but if I wrote much more I would be giving away too much of this wonderful story. Markus Zusak is a truly talented author. The words just flowed from one page to the next and the story was amazing. When I think what it would have been like to be in Leisel's position I shudder. I can't believe one not being able to read and two to have to live through such secrecy and fear as she did everyday. The book truly came alive for me which I found amazing. The events that were talked about were so real and made me cry. While I know that Leisel was not a real girl, I know that there most likely was a girl just like Leisel in real life. She probably lived with all the same hardships during the Holocaust that Leisel did. I also loved how the whole story was narrated by Death. It made me look at the situation via a whole new angle. All in all this was an outstanding book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book. While it may look thick it won't take long to read as the story sucks you in!