The Book Thief

The first time I saw you was at the book burning. As mein mann was directing the book burning, I saw a young girl, standing behind him within a short distance.  I watched as you moved forward to the mountain of books. When you hurried away, I saw you holding onto a book. Normally, everyone would not dare to disobey Hitler’s orders. But you, Liesel, was different. Despite her action of thievery that night, I can feel your deep interest in literature.

When you appeared at my front door for laundry a few days later, I knew this was a chance to show you what I have that you can use for your own interest. Instead of sending you away with a bag of laundry, I brought forward a stack of books to show you. I lead the way into my library, and hope you would use it better than I could.

Your eyes became so amazed when you caught sight of various books inside the library. You went through book after book, laughing as if you were in paradise. The joy displayed on your face was timeless. At that moment, I knew that presenting the library to you was the right decision. Ever since Johann went to war, the library has been left untouched. Every book that was in your sight, you touched, pulling out books and flipping through pages of words. Three times you motioned to leave, but the attraction of books on shelves kept you in.

In the following weeks, besides the daily laundry collecting routine, you came and read books from the library. You would simply sit at a desk, and flip through books. Stacks of books were pulled out from the shelves and sits beside you as you slowly got through every single one of them. Sometimes she spends more time on a page than another, as if she is trying to make sense of some words. A dictionary might help.

On a side note, every visit you made lasted no longer than forty minutes.