The Book Thief

I've just finished reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and it is one of the best books I've read. It's set in a small town outside Munich in Nazi Germany during World War Two and it's main character is a young girl called Liesel who is the book thief. The story is narrated by Death who tells of Liesel's life in Himmel Street, Monching, during the dark days of Nazi Germany. While set in a dark time in history, the writing is astounding and beautiful. The book shows the power of words: their power to destroy and their power to heal. It's an amazing story about love, loss, brute power, destruction, hope, vengeance, fear, forgiveness, and courage. Read it and be moved by the story and the way in which it was told.

The clip below is a four minute interview with the author about the inspiration for writing the book.