"It's just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery ...."I just finished reading this book, so recently, in fact, that the tears haven't yet dried on my eyelashes as I write this. Ostensibly written for young adult readers, this is a book that defies classification. Narrated by Death and set in Nazi Germany, it is about the power of love and imagination to transcend the horrors of war and genocide.
I usually steer clear of books that take place during the time of the Holocaust. For me, it is too difficult and painful to reconcile the horror of the Nazi death camps with Israel's systematic and continuing persecution of the Palestinian people (while too many of our politicians finance their campaigns with blood money from the so-called "Jewish Lobby".) As a Jew, whose great grandparents and grandparents emigrated from Russia to escape the pogroms, I believe there is no excuse for the cruelty and arrogance shown by the state of Israel toward Palestine over the years. But I digress ...
The Book Thief is an astounding, transformative, and beautiful novel. I hope that you will also read it and find it so.
4 comments:
Thanks, Suzy. I take your recommendations seriously and will be getting this book!
Sounds interesting, Suzy. Thanks for the post.
Hi, have you read the autobiography of Queen Noor of Jordan, I think it is called an unexpected life? I finished it recently, and found her insights into the Palestinian/Israeli situation very interesting.I was raised on strongly pro Israeli propaganda, and never really questioned it or saw it as that. Her book opened my eyes to the other side of the story, and made me wonder how much of the other stuff I took at face value needs to be questioned!
I loved it. It's a keeper. And one to be shared. Thank you.
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