I first read this book a number of years ago and reread it again recently. There have been so many books written about WWII (so many that I try to limit my reading on the topic to one every year or two). Most of the books are quite compelling, but they seem to have common themes that at times can feel redundant. Maybe this one was different for me because of the creativity in presenting the story from the perspective of Death. It does include the gut-wrenching descriptions of the horrors of war, the suffering of the oppressed, and heroic measures to help those in need. But this is a story of a young girl who witnesses those things. But in the process she develops a love of books. That clearly resonates with me.