The Book Thief: Part Ten–Epilogue

by Markus Zusak
Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Surrounded by violence, hardship, and war, Liesel is watched over by Death, who narrates her story.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Part Two, Part Three–Part Four, Part Five–Part Six, Part Seven–Part Nine, Part Ten–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pensive
    showing deep sadness
    On many occasions he was pensive about the thought of his son fighting in Stalingrad, but he hoped that some of his luck was in the boy’s blood.
  2. alleviate
    make easier
    If nothing else, it alleviated the pain of simply watching.
  3. console
    give moral or emotional strength to
    How do you console a man who has seen such things?
  4. bereaved
    a person who has suffered the death of someone they loved
    Michael Holtzapfel was buried and the book thief read to the bereaved.
  5. vantage
    place or situation affording some benefit
    They watched the moving street, one by one, and when Liesel found a good vantage point, she stopped and studied them.
  6. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    Hot tears fought for room in her eyes as she would not let them out. Better to stand resolute and proud.
  7. desecrate
    remove the sacredness from a person or an object
    Papa’s fingers desecrated the accordion, murdering song after song, no matter how hard he tried.
  8. insufferable
    extremely unpleasant or annoying
    You have been a friend to me even though I hurt you, even though I have been insufferable (a word I looked up in your dictionary), and I think I will leave you alone now.
  9. lustrous
    reflecting light
    The light was still orange, but it was not as lustrous as earlier.
  10. detriment
    a damage or loss
    He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.
  11. apocalyptic
    of or relating to a catastrophe
    Everything was new and apocalyptic.
  12. hindsight
    understanding the nature of an event after it has happened
    He even made a mistake and laughed in lovely hindsight.
Created on Wed Feb 27 11:15:45 EST 2013 (updated Wed Jun 25 14:15:54 EDT 2025)

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