The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Synopsis: Liesel Meminger is a foster child in the middle of the rising of the Nazi party in Germany, and she has three secrets: one, she is secretly in love with her neighbor and best friend, Rudy; two, she loves to read, especially when the books are stolen property; and three, she has a Jew hiding in her basement. In spite of the NSDAP gaining power rapidly and the Fuhrer imposing his views and opinions on everyone, Liesel and her foster parents lead a pretty good life, with Liesel's mama's laundry business taking care of the essentials, her papa's painting business not exactly booming but allowing them to scrape by, soccer games on Himmel Street, thieving escapades with other youngsters, school at the Hitler Youth groups, and sneaking into the mayor's library to read and, occasionally, steal their books. Everything seems great, until the Jew shows up. And even then, everything is still great. But then the bombs come, and Liesel's world is turned upside down. Can she figure out how to put it back together again? What will happen to the Jew she befriended while he hid in her basement? And what will happen to the little book that the book thief fills with the many things she has seen and done?
My Rating: * * * * * (out of 5)
This book was so different from everything else I've ever read, and I think that's part of why it held such a pull for me. If you don't mind some swearing--most of it is in German anyway, but it's definitely still there, along with the translation a couple of times--I really really recommend this one. I personally love stories about the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany, especially ones that come from an insider's view, like this one. On the cover, someone's review of this book says it might "change your life". I agree one hundred percent with that statement. If you read this, it just might change your life.
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