It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow.

It is "The Gravedigger's Handbook", left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her foster father, learns to read.

Soon, she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down. "The Book Thief" is a story about the power of words and the ability of books to feed the soul.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author, Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.