This is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl, who is abandoned by her mother to foster parents living in the town of Molching, near Munich, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. She arrives virtually illiterate but, through the patience of her foster father, learns to read and develops an obsession with books and words. Her world becomes infinitely more complicated when a Jewish fist fighter turns up on the doorstep, and is subsequently hidden from the Nazis in the basement. Liesel and the refugee develop a strong bond and together discover the power that words can wield. This is an incredibly powerful and haunting book that left me mentally and emotionally drained by its conclusion. It employs some extraordinary imagery focussing strongly on colours and provides a refreshingly different perspective on the war, that of the ordinary German. The story takes the reader on a wild emotional ride that is at times humorous (Liesel's numerous interactions with her best friend and neighbour, Rudy Steiner) and uplifting (Rudy standing up to the bully in charge of the Hitler Youth), but also deeply disturbing. Even the person of the narrator makes for an interesting twist. An enthralling read, but certainly not a light hearted one.
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