The Book Thief is a historical fiction story by the Australian Markus Zusak taking place during World War II in Nazi Germany. It’s told through the hilariously aloof point of view of Death about a small, German girl named Liesel Meminger. In the beginning, Liesel, her brother, and her mother were all on a train. Her brother dies of sickness, so they get off the train and pay for a cheap burial. Here, Liesel steals her first book.

They continue on their way, stopping at a house in Munich. The mother leaves and Liesel is fostered by an older couple, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. She is not happy with her mother’s departure from her life. She continues on, meeting a boy named Rudy, learning how to read with her adopted father, and stealing books.

One day, the Hubermanns take in a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg. Keep in mind, this is around 1942, the height of Nazi Germany and these Germans have a Jewish man in their basement. This was highly illegal and very risky for the Hubermanns, but they both did not sympathize with the Nazis that were their friends and neighbors. After staying for a while, Leisel shares the joy of reading with Max and they become friends.

The book ends catastrophically and is infamous for making people cry. While the main theme of The Book Thief is the magic of books and their ability to feed the soul, readers commonly get caught up in the highs and lows of Liesel’s relatively short stay in Munich, Germany.

In 2013, a movie was announced. Fans of The Book Thief were cautious when the movie was announced, as book-to-screen movies are notorious for being inaccurate. Luckily, the film was just as moving as the book and the fans enjoyed it, giving it a 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Both in the movie and the original book, The Book Thief is a heartbreaker and a must-read.