<P> Published in 2005, The Book Thief became an international bestseller and was translated into several languages . It was adapted into a 2013 feature film of the same name . </P> <P> After Liesels brother's death, Liesel arrives in a distraught state at the home of her new foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann . During her time there, she is exposed to the horror of the Nazi regime and struggles to find a way to the innocence of her childhood in the midst of her destructive surroundings . As the political situation in Germany deteriorates, her foster parents hide a Jewish man named Max, putting the family in danger . Hans, who has developed a close relationship with Liesel, teaches her to read in secret . Recognizing the power of writing and sharing the written word, Liesel begins to not only steal books the Nazi party is looking to destroy, but also write her own stories and share the power of language with Max . </P> <P> The protagonist of the story, she is an adopted girl on the verge of adolescence, with blonde hair that is "a close enough brand of German blonde" and a "smile that is starving" when she shows it . Her eyes, however, are brown . She is fostered by the Hubermanns after her biological father "abandons" their family, her brother dies, and her mother is forced to send her to a foster home due to her political belief (communism), which is forbidden at the time . Liesel is the "book thief" referred to in the title . Liesel is fascinated by the power of words, as shown in the quotation, "I have hated the words and I have loved them ." She steals books from snow, fire, and the mayor's wife . </P> <P> Liesel's foster father and husband of Rosa, Hans is a former German soldier during World War I, accordion player, and painter . He develops a close and loving relationship with Liesel, and becomes a main source of strength and support for her throughout the novel . He, like Liesel, doesn't have much experience with reading . Together, the two help each other with reading and write all the words they learn on a wall in the basement with his cans of white paint . </P>

Who is the main character in the book theif