The Book Thief author Markus Zusak announces new YA novel will hit shelves this fall

Markus Zusak is finally bringing a new book to our shelves.

The author of hit 2005 YA novel The Book Thief, which was adapted to a feature film starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson, will release new YA novel Bridge of Clay in October through Random House.

The novel follows Clay Dunbar, who is one of five brothers. Their mother has died and their father left them, but when their father returns to ask for help building a bridge into the wilderness, Clay is the only brother who decides to do it.

Zusak has been working on the novel for over 10 years, even mentioning it as his current project in a 2008 interview with The Guardian. "I'm writing a book called Bridge of Clay — about a boy building a bridge and wanting it to be perfect," he said. "He wants to achieve greatness with this bridge, and the question is whether it will survive when the river floods."

According to the New York Times, Zusak first had the idea for the novel at the age of 19, but has struggled to return to it over the years. "I could write this book until I die and it still won't be the way I want it. But I think now it's got the right heart and I think once you've got that then you've got an obligation to yourself to see it through and you hope people will find that in it," he told the NYT.

Bridge of Clay will at last be available to readers in October.