The Book Thief, having many complicated layers, takes place in a fictional town, but could have been in any town located in Germany, on the path to Dachau (one of the most infamous interment camps). The story is narrated by the main, nine year old character, Liesel. She has already experienced death in the loss of her brother. She is sent to live with the Huberman family where she morphs from an illiterate, unable to read child, into a young girl who is in love with books and their words. Eventually, death takes over the narration of the story and speaks of Leisle’s love for and safety in words. She learns that those words can also cause hate and sadness.
The book follows Liesel through the complicated life of struggling just to survive through the atrocities of Nazi Germany. Before her death, she ended the story of her life by saying, “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right”.
Director Brian Percival has given his best to create a movie, out now, based on the novel. The movie, accompanied by music by John Williams, affirms the story of survival and of the resilience of the human spirit.