The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This beautifully written book keeps you guessing until the end. Set in l939 in Nazi Germany, the book follows the story of nine year old Liesl and her fascination with books. The importance of words is a theme that runs throught the book, from Liesl stealing them and Maz writing them, to the use of words by the Nazi proganda machine. Sadly Liesl is sent to live with a foster family after her parents are taken away for being communists. The story follows Liesl and family as they negotiate the difficulties of living in Germany at this time. The narrator of the story is Death. However he is fair & vulnerable. As expected in these times, the book deals with some difficult subjects and there is plenty of tragedy. Well worth reading this excellent book.