The Rewritten Ending of The Book Thief

THE PLANES

They knew the fruit fields and orchards were barren. None of the crops were particularly successful, and those that produced even the littlest amounts of food had to provide their produce to the army. Stealing from a passerby would be immoral. The mayor’s house was inconsiderable, as Ilsa Hermann’s understanding and kindness warded away any thoughts in Liesel’s mind of robbing them.

There was no place left to steal.

Silence.

They sat side by side at Amper River, both waiting for the other to speak, but only the water spoke its quiet, flowing language.

Besides, there was not much to say.

A while later, they heard a barely audible droning overhead.

“Shh, Liesel, listen. Please. Do you hear that?”

Looking up, she searched the skies. Nothing.

The buzzing continued.

✵   ✵   ✵   FACTS ABOUT THE BUZZING  ✵   ✵   ✵

They were planes hidden from view by the forest, and

they were headed towards Himmel Street.

The book thief focused on pinpointing the sound down, but it was all around her. It was almost as if invisible hornets were circling her, waiting to sting. No matter how hard she squinted or concentrated, she couldn’t find the source.

Fear began to stalk them, but curiosity and lack of motivation to move made them stay.

One of everyone’s greatest fears is the fear of the unknown.

One of everyone’s fatal flaws is lazy curiosity.

But it just so happens that this fatal flaw is what saved them.

Liesel didn’t want to go home; she didn’t want to sleep either.

By now, the pair were lying on the smooth stones worn down by the river, watching the sun as it made its final descent of the day. They weren’t touching, and they still weren’t talking. The Book Thief was snugly resting on Liesel’s stomach, being cradled as she breathed.

Two innocent children.

Just lying there.

Quietly.

The droning intensified.

Fast forward a few hours. The sun had been diminished by the pressing twilight. The bodies of Rudy and Liesel were beginning to surrender to sleep, even though the buzzing became insistently overwhelming.

It happened again.

She still had one eye open.

One eye in dream.

The planes flew past, awakening Liesel. A certain curiosity led her to track the planes’ progresses across the blistered sky with her eyes, watching the planes’ smoke trails form then dissipate.

Then she witnessed and survived the bombing of Himmel Street.