The Book Thief Liesel Meminger Quotes

Liesel Meminger

Quote 1

"Did the Führer take her away?" (19.15)

With Hitler's birthday comes a grim realization for Liesel. Her mother's disappearance can be traced back to the birthday boy himself. This realization is very important to all her future actions and her general development.

"'Is it really you,' the young man asked […]. Is it from your cheek that I took the seed?'" (80.44)

When Liesel sees Max marching to Dachau she recites passages from The Word Shaker, the book he leaves for her when he flees. This is interesting because Liesel is able to best communicate her feelings to Max using his words. She's also being economical. She has to chose her words for maximum impact, since she might not get to say very many of them. She's acknowledging Max's gift and telling him she understands it.