Ok, so I don't know why it took me so long to get this blog post up, but better later than never! Oh, backstory may help you to understand. You see, last December I took a trip to LA. On my second flight I sat next to a very nice gentleman who I chatted with a bit. We discussed board games, movies, and books mostly. To be quite frank, I don't remember most of the conversation except some cool tidbits he told me about himself (mind your own business, this is about the book!) AND the fact that he recommended I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
After I returned home from my trip and finished what I was reading at the time (which I can't remember) the next book I checked out at the library was...you guessed it, The Book Thief! Typically when I'm recommended to try something, particularly a book, movie, show, or board game I take the suggestion to heart. I write it in my ongoing list on my phone and give it a try when I can, even if it doesn't seem to be something I would pick out on my own. I've found some real treasures by doing this and The Book Thief was no different.
The story is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Nazi Germany beginning in 1939. The narrator (who has the most brilliant perspective on things) becomes enchanted by the journey of a young girl name Leisel who must go live with a family that is not her own because her mother can no longer afford to take care of her. The family she moves in with is not much better off than her's was, but they give her a bed and keep her fed. And so the story goes. Leisel struggles with missing the family she left behind while trying to find her place in her new one, not to mention sliding into those teen years as Hilter's power grows and the world becomes a much more dangerous place.
Now, if you're not familiar with my blogs, I am NOT a fan of spoilers, but I will say this; from the moment we meet Leisel her tale is rife with tragedy and pain. As is to be expected in a tale that resides in one of the darkest periods of human history. Yet somehow, this is not a sad story. Don't get me wrong, there is death around practically every corner. But this story looks at the beauty and wonder in every life. No matter how small, poor, or insignificant a life it may seem. This is a story of resilience, perseverance, and being true to oneself, despite what everyone else is saying and doing. And it is a reminder that we never know who we may touch, in both good ways and bad, with even the smallest acts.
So, after almost a year, I STILL remember many details of this book and I would like to read again to see what I have forgotten.
Do you have a book you've read once, but would love to read again?