Lynn Burgess

Royston Library Manager

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

I generally find when you have read such a large number of books it becomes harder and harder to find something that holds your interest. I never used to give up on a book and always stuck with it to the end but in recent years I have relented, giving it a pretty good chance to impress but usually knowing by around page 50 if it is going to be a good read!
One such book was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Chosen by my book group I wasn’t sure it would be my thing but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
A historical novel, set in Nazi Germany during 1939, it follows the somewhat harrowing story of 9 year old Liesel through the loss of her family and the bombings and struggle to survive in her hometown of Molching. She finds the opportunity to learn to read and write with help from a Jewish man hiding in the basement of her foster parents’ home. She then develops a love of books stealing them where she can and the use of words becomes the most important thing in her life. It’s the tale of Liesel from young girl to young woman and her relationships with those who influence her along the way.
What makes the book so unusual is how it is narrated, but it would spoil it if I gave that away! It’s a Marmite book (love it or hate it) but one I am so glad I decided to stick with.