The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a powerful exploration of the lives of ordinary people in Nazi Germany. It tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl who loves the written word and makes it a point to steal books when and where she can. Life is hard, destruction and suffering are everywhere, and Death is a regular visitor to Liesel’s world – he is in fact the narrator of the story. But acts of enormous bravery and decency abound as well. A moving subplot involves Liesel’s foster family’s effort to save the life of a Jewish man, at great risk to their own safety. The Book Thief is generally considered a young adult novel, but had I not known this beforehand, it would never have occurred to me. It was first published as a book for adults in Zusak’s native Australia. - EB