Zusak, Markus (1975-…), is an Australian author of novels for young adults. Zusak’s novels have also gained international popularity with adult readers.
Zusak is best known for his novel The Book Thief (2006). The story is set in Germany in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, during the days of Nazi rule. The story is narrated by Death, who is portrayed as a droll, bitterly humorous character. It follows the life of a girl named Liesel as she witnesses the horrors of the Nazi persecution of the Jews. The book’s title is taken from Liesel’s love of books, which she steals from various sources. Her exposure to reading deepens her awareness of the horrors around her. As she grows older, she comes to realize how knowledge can contribute to freedom, even in the oppressive society of Nazi Germany. The Book Thief was adapted as a motion picture in 2013.
Zusak had previously gained widespread recognition for his novel The Messenger (2002, published in the United States as I Am the Messenger, 2005). The central character of the novel is Ed Kennedy, a 19-year-old taxi cab driver who lives an aimless life in a shabby house with his dog. Ed accidentally stops a bank robbery and is called a hero in his local newspaper. Soon Ed begins receiving playing cards from an unknown sender that direct him to people who need help. In assisting these people, Ed discovers a meaning and purpose for his life.
Zusak began his writing career with three realistic novels about the teenage Wolfe brothers, Ruben and Cameron, living in an impoverished family and struggling to succeed in modern Australia. The novels are The Underdog (1999), Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2000), and When Dogs Cry (2001, published in the United States as Getting the Girl, also in 2001). The books are narrated in a working-class dialect by younger brother Cameron Wolfe. Bridge of Clay (2018) tells about a family of five orphaned boys in Australia trying to understand why their father abandoned them.
Markus Frank Zusak was born on June 23, 1975, in Sydney. His mother was German, and his father, Austrian. They immigrated to Australia in the late 1950’s. Their stories about life in Europe during World War II influenced The Book Thief. Zusak began writing fiction in high school and finished his first book when he was 18. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 1995 and a diploma in education from UNSW in 1996. After graduating, he worked briefly as a janitor and a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer.
