The recap
In 1939, nine-year-old Liesel Meminger arrives on Himmel Street, in a small town near Munich, to live with foster parents: Rosa Hubermann, who scolds in a steady stream of colorful insults, and her gentle husband Hans, who plays the accordion and teaches Liesel to read in the middle of the night. Liesel has already stolen her first book, though she cannot yet read a word of it, and as war spreads across Europe she keeps stealing, rescuing books from a Nazi bonfire and from the library of the mayor's wife, and sharing their words with neighbors and with a Jewish man hidden in the basement. The story is narrated by Death, a weary, wry and surprisingly tender observer who cannot resist giving small glimpses ahead. Zusak's style is playful and full of odd, vivid images, broken up by lists, asides and bold notes. It is a novel about the power of words to wound and to save, and about ordinary decency in a terrible time.
Why read it
For readers of any age who love historical fiction with heart and an unusual narrative voice. Keep tissues nearby.
Fun facts
- 01
Zusak was inspired by the stories his parents told about their childhoods in wartime Munich and Vienna, including his mother's memory of Jewish prisoners being marched through town to Dachau.
- 02
It was first published in Australia in 2005 and around the world in 2006, and it received a Michael L. Printz Honor for young adult literature.
- 03
The novel spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times children's bestseller list.
- 04
Brian Percival directed the 2013 film adaptation, starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.
“Here is a small fact: You are going to die.”
