Why were words necessary? All this trouble because of words. If there were no words, nothing of this would have happened. Fourteen year old Liesel laments words and the damage they caused as she sees the destruction in her life, the bodies of her loved ones laid out on the road. Words that Hitler used to deadly effect to push his agenda - one that not all Germans agreed with. And 'The Book Thief' is the story of all those small and ordinary souls who show extraordinary love and courage despite having no power or standing - all they have is love and decency. And interestingly, the story is narrated by someone who was busiest in the mid 40s, Mr Death.
Set in Nazi Germany during the second World War or towards the end of it, TBT is about Liesel, a young girl who begins the book with a devastating journey - her younger brother and she are to be handed over to adopted parents, and she is accompanied by her mother while the transition is to be done. Her younger brother dies during the journey and the mother is lost and young Liebel ends up arriving at the Hubermann household, modest in every way on Himmel Street. It's a street where people just about get by. Papa Hans is a painter, a kindly soul with silver in his eyes, an accordion player and someone with the luck of the devil - he trades places with death twice. Mama Rosa swears like a sailor, is tough woman with a heart as big as any. Into this household comes Liebel.
She soon makes friends with 'Jesse Owens' Rudy Steiner, the kid in the block who once painted himself black and ran a race to be like his idol Jesse Owens and the two become thick and fast friends - thieving apples, fighting off people, being there for one another. Clearly they don't believe people are different. Rudy does anything for Liebel and always asks her - so will you kiss me? And she says no. But hey, when Liebel's younger brother was buried she picks up a book, a gravedigger's manual, and she begins reading. Papa Hans encourages her to read and sits with her while she reads and she soon starts reading more and more, forms a relationship with the Mayor's wife who allows her access to her library and also allows her to steal her books!
And then Hans brings home, in times of Jew-haters, his friend's son Max. Hans had served in the army and Max's father had died in his place, and had taught him to play the accordion and he honours his promise to his Jewish friend's widow that he would help. This is a tale of people who honour promises also.
He takes in Max at great danger to their lives. Max develops a friendship with Liesel. Rosa opens her heart to the young Jew. Images of Jews being paraded as they are led to Dachau, of Hans bravely feeding an old Jew who is almost dying and getting beaten up for it, of the tender friendship between Max and Liesel, of Rudy swimming in the cold river to retrieve a copy of Liebel's book, of Rudy himself giving bread to Jewish prisoners, of Hans refusing to join the party or fly the flag, of Hans helping Jews he knew who got looted, of Rosa sleeping with Hans accordion on her chest after Hans is sent to the army - signs of great love and courage in small lives.
And then the war takes a turn and the Allies bomb everything. Max runs away saying 'Ýou've done enough for me', knowing if he was found the others will hang too. Liebel searches for him in each parade. Hans is drafted into the army, survives death and comes home with a broken leg. And Rosa gives Liebel the book Max wrote for her on the Word Shapers and how words can destroy and also create. And she writes her own book and as she is writing the end, the bombs fall on Himmel street taking everyone except her because she is in the basement. Hans, Rosa, Rudy...it is so painful as Liebel looks down and kisses her best friend Rudy, the one with hair the color of lemons, who is blown up. And when things look like they cannot get bleaker, Max arrives. Clearly Liebel is the only one who is capable of surviving something like this.
Words. If they were not there, nothing like this would have happened. The Fuehrer would have had no power but for his words.
It is a tale a extraordinary love - of Liebel with Hans, Rudy, Rosa and Max. The unconditionality of it all. Hans opens his heart to the little girl and she responds with a love that only a father and daughter can feel. Rosa has the biggest heart yet and takes in a Jew without a question, sleeps with the accordion on her chest to soothe her aching heart. Max who writes a book and leaves it with Rosa to give Liebel when she is old enough. Rudy who is there for her in everything. And as they die, a great sadness descends on you, at the death of all things nice, brave. The death of good intent, of love, of thoughtfulness, of all things decent and human. And it is for this we grieve, for these extraordinary heroes with hearts large as the ocean and who claim nothing in return and are perhaps punished for it. Great love and good intent rarely escapes punishment.
And grieve I did - as I read the end. Something in those words, in the futility of it all triggered something deep down and I could not stop tears rolling down uncontrollably. I have not cried as much since 1984, when my father died, and it is significant that I cried the most for when Liebel cries for Hans. One would like to be like Hans in real life, a hero in every sense of the word, and like Rudy, the friend/boyfriend anyone would want to have, fun, mischievous and always there as the secret confidant.
I will never forget the book nor its characters for what it did to me in the end. It was quite cathartic and reading through 570 pages was well worth it. Take a bow Markus Zusak. To make a cynical, grown man whose daughter always says 'But I have never seen you cry', shed copious tears with only your words is no mean feat.
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