Liesel, the orphaned protagonist of Markus Zusak's
The Book Thief, steals a total of nine books throughout the
novel:
The first is The Grave Diggers
Handbook, stolen on January 13, 1939, the day Liesel's brother dies, and the
day she last sees her mother. With it Hans Hubermann, her foster father teaches her to
read.
The second is Faust the Dog, by
Mattheus Ottleberg, received as a Christmas gift, paid for by
cigarettes.
The third is The
Lighthouse, by Ingrid Rippinstein, also received at Christmas, and paid for
by cigarettes.
The fourth is The Shoulder Shrug,
'stolen' from a bonfire of banned books on April 20, 1940. The mayor's wife
witnesses the theft.
The fifth is Mein Kampf
("My Struggle"), written by the Fuhrer himself, Adolf
Hitler.
The sixth is The Whistler,
given by the mayor's wife on the day she fires her laundress, Liesel's foster mother.
Enraged, Liesel threw it back, but later decided to keep the book only if she could
steal it. In November 1941, she and her best friend, Rudy, sneak into the mayor's
residence to steal the book, almost getting caught in the process. Viktor Chemmel, their
enemy, threw it into the icy river, but Rudy gallantly retrieved
it.
The seventh is The Dream Carrier,
stolen because the title of the book reminded Liesel of the dreams she shared with Max,
the Hubermann's secret, because Jewish,
houseguest.
The eighth is Song in the
Dark, stolen because Liesel didn't have a green book in her collection, and
because the insignia of a flute between the title and the author's name appealed to her.
This was the first book she stole without Rudy's
assistance.
The ninth and last book is The
Complete Dulden Dictionary and Thesaurus, left on the window ledge by
Liesel's secret admirer, the mayor's wife.
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