In the novel “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, along with their foster daughter Liesel, struggle between their own personal values and what everyone in their town and country believes in during WWII Germany.
While the novel is morose at face value, full of tragedy and despair, it also contains many moments of hope. Much of the book is light-hearted, joyous, and a tale of the overpowering love for the written language.
This book has impacted me in several ways. The novel is written in the first person view of death. The physical embodiment of death tells the tragic story of Liesel Hubermann and her childhood in war-ridden Germany.
At the beginning of this story Liesel cannot read or write, and her foster father spends most nights teaching her the alphabet. Her fascination with reading is a direct contrast to how much we take for granted in our modern society.
It alludes to just how privileged we truly are to be able to read and write fluently. The novel is also an insight into the courage of the families who took in Jewish people during the war. The Hubermanns took in a Jewish man named Max and faced countless struggles while trying to care for him in secret.
Upon reflection, the novel leaves the reader wondering if he or she would have the courage to face the hardships the Hubermanns faced should they be thrust into similar circumstances.
The book ends in bittersweet tragedy and affected me deeply the first time I read it. Through the writing of the novel, I became deeply invested in the characters of “The Book Thief”, and found it hard to accept what happened to the Hubermanns and their friends.
While the novel ended in bittersweet tragedy for the characters, I believe their tale is one of perseverance and hope in even the darkest of times. “The Book Thief” is a beautiful meditation on both humanity’s potential for both good and evil, and all the grey in between.
