The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In historical fiction, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak always rises to the top due to it’s status as a New York Times Bestseller.  The story is set in 1939 in Nazi Germany and is told through the eyes of death, who has never been busier.  Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich whom death observes and narrates for as she 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.

This book is superb, and rich with passion and intense foreboding as it moves along.  Zusak keeps the reader engaged with pace of this unforgettable tale, ever on the edge simply because one is reminded of who is narrating it.  Overall it is a brilliant story that places one in the reality of Nazi Germany during World War II, and it feeds the soul.

The Book Thief: A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction

When you read it, you will be convinced that this is a true masterpiece of historical fiction and it will soon float up to your own personal top ten list.  The author, Markus Zusak was born in 1975 and is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief , which is translated into more than forty languages. First released in 2005, The Book Thief has spent a total of 375 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and still remained there eight years after it first came out.  His earlier books have also garnered numerous awards in his native Australia and throughout Europe. His book I Am the Messenger won numerous national readers choice awards across Europe, including the highly regarded Deutscher Jugendliteratur prize in Germany.

Praise for The Book Thief

It is The Book Thief , however, that has established Markus Zusak as one of the most successful authors to come out of Australia. To date, The Book Thief has held the number one position at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the New York Times bestseller list, as well as in countries across South America, Europe and Asia. It has also been in the top five bestsellers in the UK and several other territories. It has amassed many and varied awards, ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers. It was the only book to feature on both the USA and UK World Book Night Lists in 2012, and has now been adapted into a major motion picture.