Liesel Meminger

Short Biography

Liesel Meminger: (born February 1928) The protagonist of the story, she is an adopted girl on the verge of adolescence with blond hair that "was a close enough brand of German blonde" and dark brown eyes. She is fostered by the Hubermanns when her father "abandons" their family and her mother is forced to give her up for adoption. Her brother Werner dies on the journey to the Hubermann household. She is very close to her foster father, Hans Hubermann, and has a rough but loving relationship with her foster mother, Rosa. She befriends Max, the Jew whom the Hubermanns are hiding, as well as the mayor's wife, who allows Liesel to read, borrow, and "steal" books from her home library. She also befriends the other children of Himmel Street, among them Rudy Steiner, who becomes her best friend. Despite her many refusals to Rudy's requests for a kiss, her love for him is clear, as seen by the lustful nature of some of her fantasies of him. Liesel finally grants Rudy's much-awaited kiss as he lies dead among the ruins of Himmel Street. Liesel eventually married, moved to Australia, and had several children and grandchildren.