The Book Thief

I just finished reading "The Book Thief," and it's one of the best books I have ever read, if not THE best book I have ever read. In my mind it deserves a place among the ranks of works like Wuthering Heights, Ben Hur, The Count of Monte Cristo, Pride and Prejudice, Man's Search for Meaning, Anna Karenina, and Leon Uris's Exodus.

It is set in the heart of Germany in the middle of World War II. It is peppered with violence, swearing and darkness (it's narrated by Death himself), but it's one of the most heartwarming books I have ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone--even my daughters (and my son, when he's older).

I first found the book on a digital library web site. It looked interesting but was already checked out, so I added my name to the hold list. About two weeks ago I received an email telling me that it was available, so I checked it out and began reading it on my iPhone.

The first few pages were confusing to say the least. I stopped reading and went to amazon.com to look at reviews, to try to remember why I'd wanted to check it out in the first place. Everything I saw was very positive, so I continued reading. And I'm glad I did.

The Book Thief is the story of a girl whose entire world is falling apart, yet she still finds ways to love others. She is a light in the darkness, a shining star in a cloud-filled night sky, and her example of faith and perseverance and compassion in the midst of overwhelming adversity gave me insight into my own sufferings. Her story is written with a unique mixture of poetry and prose, and its brief and sometimes cutting sentences highlight the complexities and intricacies of human existence--of love and hate, of right and wrong, and of triumph and tragedy.

The Book Thief is raw and real, starkly honest yet surprisingly comforting. It entered my heart and touched places I didn't even know I had. It scooped out my soul and replaced it with something a little better, a little more hopeful, a little more compassionate, and a little more human. It's themes of life, death, love, and the written word helped me find some much-needed healing and perspective. It is more than a book. It is a treasure, a beautiful work of art, and a life-changing event all rolled into one.