Humanity prevails in the darkest times

War is a hard subject to write about. It’s tough to read about, too.

I usually steer clear of war films or books. There’s already enough misery and destruction on the news. These topics are so familiar that I feel I don’t need to learn anything more about them. I’m a millennial; World War II is something that happened to my grandparents, and it was still vividly remembered and discussed in newspapers and on TV during my childhood. We all read Anne Frank’s Diary. We grew up with films like “Schindler’s List” and shows like “MAS*H.”

When I went to school in 1990s Europe, I thought war was over. I didn’t realize there were still wars raging in the Balkans, Rwanda, or India. There was an expectation that we’d never see war again. How naive I was!

I got around to reading “The Book Thief” well after it had become popular. Or rather, I listened to it as an audiobook while driving my car. I didn’t fancy reading a war book but this one got so much praise that I simply had to give it a go.  

What I liked the most about “The Book Thief” was the fact its main theme was opposition to Nazism among the Germans during WWII. Not everyone cooperated with the Nazis, and those who resisted paid dearly for it. Still, they chose to stay true to their hearts and uphold their moral values. It is a story of the little people who were heroes.

The Book Thief is a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is a choice, and the choice can be humanity and kindness. I loved it, and I think it is a book that the young generation could enjoy, too.