Summary and Analysis of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak . The Book Thief was first published in Australia in 2005 and in the US in 2006. It's Australian author Markus Zusak's fifth novel, and it emerged on the scene when Zusak was only thirty years old. Winning a slew of awards, mostly in the Young Adult category, and selling at least a million copies, The Book Thief is monumentally increasing this young author's fame. Liesel Meminger, a young German girl growing up in Nazi Germany, is the star of the show. She's also the chief book thief in the novel, which is narrated by Death. When Liesel's foster parents decide to give refuge to a young Jewish man hiding from the Nazi regime, the characters grow and change in horrible and beautiful ways... PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Summary & Analysis of The Book Thief: - Summary of book - An Analysis of the book to help you better understand it. - Analysis of the Themes and Author's Style Grab a copy of this book now!