Ilsa Herman becomes a very important person in Liesel's life. Through the majority of the novel she remains a figure shrouded in mystery, with her fondness for Nazi bathrobes and matching slippers. It is not until much later we learn that she is actually so shattered by the loss of her son in World War I that she can barely even function as a person. However, Liesel's provocative behavior helps coax Ilsa from her suffering. The girl gives Ilsa a reason to reach out to another human. When Ilsa has to stop using Rosa's services, Liesel starts climbing through the library window and stealing books. She doesn’t feel guilty in any way, in that Ilsa has many books so she wouldn’t notice that one, single book is missing. When she eventually catches
