The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.”~ Death

 

From the Publisher

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. ~randomhouse

At home in Sydney, Australia, a few years ago Markus Zusak had a hard time believing anyone would read his forthcoming novel, “The Book Thief.”  

“I always imagined people trying to recommend it and being asked what it’s about and saying: ‘It’s set in Nazi Germany. It’s narrated by Death. It’s 560 pages long. You’ll love it,’ ” he said.

Mr. Zusak got it wrong. In the six years since Knopf published “The Book Thief” it has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone, and has yet to leave The New York Times’s best-seller list. The paperback is on its 36th printing, and the hardcover has had 30. It’s the rare young-adult title, not part of a series, that appeals to both children and adults, male and female.~nytimes

Interview with Markus Zusak