Max Vandenburg appeared at 33 Himmel street looking for refuge from the German authorities, in the home of his late father 's friend, Hans Hubermann. Rosa and Hans took Max into their home, fed him, and nursed him back to health after he fell ill due to the severe cold in the dark hubermann basement. Although Rosa and Hans provided necessities, Liesel provided Max with well needed company and friendship. “At least once a day, hans Hubermann would descend the basement steps and share a conversation. Rosa would occasionally bring a spare crust of bread. It was when Liesel came down, however, that Max found himself interested in life again.” (Page 250). From the day Max left the Hubermann household in fear of being found, Liesel made sure to look …show more content…
They quickly formed a friendship and love, although they may have denied it, that lasted many years until Rudy’s final days. Rudy was one of the only important people in Liesel 's life, and most certainly one of the people that loved her most. “He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them” (Page 303). Rudy took his love for Liesel to his grave, never able to hear her confess what he knew, that she loved him just as much as he loved her. “The tears grappled with her face. “Rudy, please, wake up, goddamn it, wake up, I love you. Come on, Rudy, come on, Jesse Owens, don 't you know I love you, wake up, wake up, wake up…” (Page 535). Even after discovering the ruins of Himmel Street that served as a graveyard for all who had lived there, the shock of discovering the boy she loved, now a lifeless body was more excruciating than she could have ever imagined. Rudy’s memory, although painful, would forever live on in liesel 's heart, “In her final visions she saw... and the boy whose hair remained the colour of lemons forever.” (Page