The first time Liesel met Death was on the day her brother died on the train ride to the Hubermanns.
Yes, what a shame. But if it weren't for her brother's death, she wouldn't have been able to commit her first act of book thievery, The Grave Digger's Handbook.
Unbeknownst to Liesel, she would also lose her mother days later when she would be dropped off to her new foster parents, the Hubermanns.
Hans Hubermann:A compassionate painter who loves to smoke and play the accordion.
Rosa Hubermann:Don't be deterred by her use of foul language in every sentence. She's an expert at tough love.
You filthy pig!
Thus began her midnight lessons of reading and writing with her foster father. Now she can finally learn how to read The Grave Digger's Handbook.
It took a while for Liesel to settle in to Himmel Street, Molching. The loss of two family members took a toll and she developed a bad habit of waking up from nightmares at night.
Thankfully, not everything was a nightmare. Rosa did the washing and ironing of the wealthier families of Molching. Leisel was in charge of taking the clothes back to them.
When she wasn't going to school or doing chores, you could find Leisel playing soccer with her best friend, Rudy, who had a crush on her.
The book thief's second book stolen was from the fire of the Fruhrer. She was lucky to not get her family in trouble by stealing a book made by a Jew, but she was still caught.