The Book Thief

The reason I originally requested this book from the library is because I came across it while searching for WWII historical fiction. It's classified as a Young Adult novel but as you know, that certainly doesn't stop me from reading something!

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, follows the story of Liesel, a nine year old girl who is being taken by her mother to a foster family in Molching, Germany. Liesel arrives at her new home, she is clutching a stolen copy of "The Gravediggers Handbook" even though she is unable to read. It is with this book that her foster father teaches her to read and starts Liesel's love affair with books. Throughout the years, Liesel comes to love her new family and collects both more books (mostly stolen of course) and a motley assortment of friends - a Jewish refugee, a blond haired boy who thinks he could be Jesse Owens, the Mayor's wife, and most importantly, her foster father. The book is narrated by death, oddly enough, and it adds a very interesting subtext to the novel. This is a book that will definitely give you something to think about and you will truly care for the characters by the end. I highly recommend it to all and as an added bonus, it would be a great discussion book for any book club.