Liesel Meminger

Liesel Meminger is a young German girl whose mother has given her up to the foster parent system because she can no longer care for her. Liesel does not know why her mother cannot care for her, but remembers certain incidents in her childhood that point to the idea that her father may have been a Communist in a time when political beliefs other than Hitler's were severely punished. Liesel was supposed to go into foster care with her brother. However, Liesel's brother dies on the train ride to Munich.

Liesel is placed with an older couple. The man, Hans, is very kind to Liesel and often sits up with her in the middle of the night when she has nightmares about her brother's death. During these nights, Hans teaches Liesel how to read. Rosa, her foster mother, is a strong, angry woman who calls Liesel terrible...