You never know what happens next in The Book Thief. Once more still in the beginning of the book, (I need to read more), many events are unfolding upon the poor German girl Liesel. Her brother being dead and her mother "Always sick, though there is never enough money to fix her" (Zusak 46), her mother has decided to give them to a foster home on a town called Himmel Street. The man narrating makes it a point that you know that this means heaven in German, and says this is ironic. I believe that this is foreshadowing future events that may unfold upon Liesel on that street.

The foster parents that have taken up Liesel are very worried about her mental state, because they were expecting a brother and a sister, and also Liesel would not get out of the car to go in the house, or much less even talk to them. As crowds gather to see the foster mother try to get her new child into the house some of them start to wonder, because the girl had dark blonde hair and brown eyes.

Not a good color of eyes to be in Germany, at the time. The crowd dispersed after the foster mother made a strongly worded announcement, and the child was eventually forced inside.

The foster mother is short, and seems almost unable to turn her upper body without her legs moving. She has a "almost distinctive waddle-like walk." The foster father was tall and inviting, he took Liesel outside, and taught her how to roll a tobacco cigarette. Liesel has to learn how to adapt to her new enviornment.