Toward the end of the book, the narrator says, "I am haunted by humans" (Zusak 550). Narrated by Death, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is a novel about an orphan, named Liesel Meminger, who goes to live with the Hubermanns on Himmel (Heaven) Street. While there, he loots books from libraries and burns them during the horrors of World War II. Liesel Meminger's desire to read helps her deal with incidents around her and gain insight into the power of words, while her insecurity helps her create connections with beneficial people. In addition to stealing and reading words, Liesel Meminger made constant connections with people. Being moved from place to place and relying on people who ended up leaving her meant that Liesel was unable to trust anyone as quickly as others. Her insecurity drove away many other people, except those who truly loved her. The text reads: The front seat was pushed forward... She didn't move. Outside, through the circle she made, Liesel could see the tall man's fingers, still holding the cigarette... It took almost fifteen minutes to convince her to get out of the car... Then there was the gate, at which she clung to. A trickle of tears fell from her eyes as she resisted and refused to enter (Zusak 28). The tall man was Hans Hubermann, his adoptive father. From then on she always trusted Hans Hubermann and knew that he would always be there for her, unlike the other people in her life. When she blocked Rudy's kick in the soccer, he hit her with a snowball and since then he always followed Liesel and made sure she was okay. He never gave up on her even when she was irritated and eventually they became best friends and partners in crime. Finally Rosa Hubermann, Liesel's adoptive mother, wo...... middle of paper...... Liesel's replacement was Max. Max was the son of Hans Hubermann's dead friend, wanted because he was Jewish. While Max hides in the basement, he writes his books titled The Standover Man and Word Shaker. In Word Shaker, Max wrote about Liesel and how Hitler understood that words have an effect on people. He also wrote that the people at the top are the ones who fully understand the words. He benefited from the friends he had. Liesel learns to read from Hans Hubermann and to steal what she loves with Rudy. When Liesel Meminger concludes her story, she says, “I hated the words and I loved them, and I hope I have corrected them” (Zusak 528). Like Liesel, we need to make sure we use our words correctly, both for our own benefit and for others. Works Cited Zusak, Markus. Book thief. United States of America: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.