Review of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is focused on Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Munich, Germany. With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read and form deep connections with others. Her insatiable thirst for books forces her to steal from Nazi book-burnings and from the mayor’s wife’s library. Furthermore, she defies society’s supreme law by secretly reading to the Jewish man, Max Vandenburg, who is hidden in her basement. In return, Max writes her a story, “The Word Shaker”, which helps her discover the power of language. Liesel realizes the ability for words to cause damage, such as Nazi propaganda. At the same time, they were a gift of comfort and a place for refuge. Eventually, her understanding shapes her character and results in a tremendous transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end.
As an avid reader of historical fiction, I most certainly enjoyed Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and would recommend this book to others. Moreover, I personally believe that the message Zusak delivers is extremely crucial. This book also shows that amidst hardships and adversity, there is still love, which is the light at the end of the tunnel. For example, Liesel herself loved books. Hans and Rosa Hubermann, Liesel’s foster parents, loved Liesel the most. There are many ways the characters are bonded through love; Liesel’s father shows his love frankly, while her mother’s form of love is somewhat oblique. Also, Liesel and her family were very courageous. They put their lives at risk to do what is morally right: they helped a starving Jewish man, Max. Although the rest of society blindly follows Hitler’s rules, the Hubermanns and Liesel have a mind of their own: they stand out to do what is right, even if no one is watching.
Another recurring message throughout the entire novel is that words have power. Rather than use weapons to fight, why don’t we use words, a form of non-violence fighting? Words are extremely powerful, perhaps even stronger than guns, money, and brute force. When Max writes Liesel “The Word Shaker”, he reveals how much words can do. Hitler never used guns or money to change people and manipulate them. He used words; he was an excellent orator. This can be applied to our daily lives as well. One should take the time to appreciate this gift of language. Without words, there would be no communication, no train of thought, no books; the list goes on and on. Words may seem like something so little that it has nearly no value. In other words, one should appreciate the small things in his or her life.

~ Reviewed by Emma