Australian Markus Zusak’s 2006 novel The Book Thief has been adapted to film by Michael Petroni with the help of Zusak himself. The film, directed by Brian Percival, will hit theaters on November 15.
Set in Nazi Germany in the years 1939-1943, The Book Thief is the story of young Liesel Meminger narrated by Death. Liesel has recently lost her brother and been separated from her mother. She goes to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann on Himmel Street. At first she suffers from nightmares and is made fun of at school because she can’t read. Hans comforts her through the night and gives her reading lessons. It’s not long until Liesel is forced to join he Band of German Girls. Liesel witnesses books being burned and decides to save one, realizing suddenly that she hates Hitler and the Nazis as they are responsible for her brother’s death and her mother’s disappearance. Ilsa Hermann sees Liesel’s “crime” and invites her to her library, the most beautiful thing Liesel has ever seen. The story continues as Liesel pursues her love of reading and shares this with the new guest at the Hubermann household, Max. The Nazis take their toll on the area and Liesel is separated from the people she has come to love. Death takes over the story at this point and describes the remainder of Lisel’s life from afar.
The film will star Roger Allam as Death, Sophie Nelisse as Liesel, Geoffrey as Hans, and Emily Watson as Rosa. This powerful story has been extremely successful as a novel, selling (as of 2012) over 2.5 million copies. It has been raved about in both the U.S. and in countries around the world. The Book Thief is predicted to be just as big of a hit when it finally hits the theaters later this month.