Author:Amos Oz
As the Germans advance into Poland in 1939, Elisha Pomeranz, a Jewish mathematician and watchmaker, escapes into the wintry forest, leaving behind his beautiful, intelligent wife, Stefa.
After the war, having evaded the concentration camps, they begin to build new lives - Stefa in Stalin's Russia and Elisha in Israel, where, as they seek their reunion, another war is brewing.
An outstandingly rich book... a pleasure to read
—— Times Literary SupplementA mixture of fantasy, history, grimness and humour... often beautiful
—— Glasgow HeraldA lavishly gifted writer'
—— New York TimesBeautifully written, empathetic and unflinching, it is very, very good
—— Daily Mailvivid and well-wrought
—— Times Literary SupplementInsightful . . . beautifully paced . . . authentic
—— The Irish TimesIn this worthy successor to Longbourn, she [Baker] skillfully captures Beckett’s world, the rhythms of his bare-bones prose, and the edginess of his point of view.
—— Publishers WeeklyTaking its title from Beckett's most famous play, Waiting for Godot, Baker's historical drama deftly explores the psyche of one of the greatest writers of the Twentieth Century.
—— BooklistPerfectly captures the deprivation, despair and constant creeping fear of an occupied people.
—— Red Magazine Must-Read of the MonthThis exquisitely crafted novel re-creates the World War II peregrinations of Samuel Beckett and the volatile Frenchwoman who became his life's companion
—— Oprah Magazine‘Baker . . . creates a compellingly real experience out of Beckett’s work in the French underground . . . Her writing is assured and often intense . . . enthralling.’
—— The Santa Fe New MexicanAbsorbing and searing
—— Washington PostA major achievement
—— PeopleDeserves a place on the shelf with The Diary of Anne Frank - set to become a classic
—— USA TodayZusak makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable in the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse 5, with grim, darkly consoling humour
—— TimeZusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme more resonant - words can save your life ...It's a measure of how sucessfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them
—— Publishers WeeklyOne of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years
—— The Wall Street Journal'Elegant, philosophical and moving. A work to read slowly and savour. Beautiful and important
—— Kirkus ReviewsBoth gripping and touching, a work that kept me up late into the night feverishly reading the last 300 pages
—— Cleveland Plain-DealerZusak's novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness
—— The AustralianA triumph of control ...one of the most unusual and compelling of recent Australian novels
—— The Age...the much talked about The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak...should soon have the UK under its spell.
—— Sam Burson , The Western Mail...this is a novel to touch even the coldest of hearts - definitely 2007's first must-read book.
—— Newmarket JournalA compelling tale from the start...definitely 2007's first must-read book.
—— Bury Free PressA moving story from the German perspective of everyday civilian hardship and surivival under the Third Reich. It celebrates the power of words and love, in the face of unutterable suffering
—— Mail on SundayDeath turns out to be a tender narrator in Zusak's 'The Book Thief' [...] This novel movingly depicts the Himmel Street community, and its orphaned book thief, Liesel Meminger
—— Books Quarterly (Waterstones)Your emotions by the end of this novel are shot to pieces, but it's well worth it.
—— GuardianAlthough already a bestselling children's book, THE BOOK THIEF's insightful and poignant tone and appealing characters...are amply equipped to capture adults, too.
—— Observer