The book focuses on a young girl named Liesel Meminger. After the death of her younger brother, Liesel's mother is unable to care for her and drops Liesel off to live with a foster family in a little town outside of Munich, Germany. When Liesel arrives, she is illiterate, but her life changes forever when she picks up an object left by accident in the snow, a book called The Grave Digger's Handbook. This is Liesel's first act of thievery, and so begins her passion for books. With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read...

The Book Thief takes place during a tumultuous time in history: World War II in Nazi Germany. The reader has the unique perspective of what it was like to live in an everyday common family in Germany under the rule of Adolf Hitler, and comes to understand how the German people were in fact divided; not all were supporters of Hitler and the Nazi party. When Liesel's foster family agrees to hide a Jewish man in their basement, the reader gains a new perspective of this time in history.

"Here is a small fact: You are going to die. Does this worry you? I urge you- don't be afraid. I'm nothing if not fair. Of course, an introduction. A beginning. Where are my manners? I could introduce myself properly but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you... your soul will be in my arms... I will carry you away gently. At that moment, you will be lying there. (I rarely find people standing up)... The only sound I'll hear after that will be my own breathing... The question is, what color will everything be at the moment when I come for you?"

The Book Thief is indeed a novel meant to be savored. The author uses words in a way that made me want to slow down and enjoy the beautiful language and images he creates as Liesel's story unfolds. I wouldn't describe The Book Thief as a "quick read", but it is a book that is well worth the reader's time and effort.

Stated by our narrator Death in the first chapter, The Book Thief can be boiled down to the following words... "It's a small story really, about, among other things:

To me, The Book Thief is quite simply a story about hope and how the main character survives after being left behind.