Markus Zusak’s 2006 Printz Honor novel The Book Thief (Knopf) has just sold two million copies, across multiple formats, in the United States. “There’s so much you can’t control when you’ve finished a book and it makes its way in the world. You hope it will find a path into the right people’s hands, and I think that’s what happened with The Book Thief,” Zusak said in a statement. “It’s a book that found its audience—and it’s a great audience, because it’s people who love books and want their friends to love them too.”
The Book Thief, which is narrated by Death and centers on a foster girl living near Munich during WWII, was marketed as an adult book in Zusak’s native Australia, but has found fans of all ages around the world. The book’s sales have risen steadily since its original publication. Random House credits book clubs, community read programs, and passionate word-of-mouth recommendations with helping The Book Thief achieve its remarkable sales trajectory.
Zusak’s next book, Bridge of Clay, is scheduled to be published by Knopf in 2013.
