The Book Thief Chapter 66

The Bread Eaters

• 1942 is almost over. During its last month, all Liesel can think about is Hans, Alex, and Max.
• Perhaps surprisingly, it takes Liesel's mind off things when she goes to read to Frau Holtzapfel.
• They finished The Whistler and are on to The Dream Carrier.
• There are two more parades of Jews.
• Liesel goes to the first one, hoping to see Max, but also knowing that not seeing Max means Max might be free.
• The second parade happens in the middle of December.
• Rudy shows up with a bag of pieces of bread.
• He and Liesel ride their bikes up ahead of Molching, on the road to Dachau.
• They scatter the bread on the road.
• Liesel can hear Rudy's stomach making hungry noises.
• They hide in the bushes and wait.
• The procession is in view.
• A Jew sees a piece of bread and stops to eat it.
• They try to get a better view, but Rudy warns Liesel to be very quiet and still.
• Liesel looks closely at each person and doesn't see Max.
• More Jews stop to pick up the pieces of bread on the road.
• Soon, some of the soldiers notice it, too.
• They see Liesel and Rudy in the bushes and start coming after them.
• They run, each a different way.
• A soldier gets close enough to Liesel to kick her in the back and tell her to stay away.
• After almost an hour, she comes back to where they began.
• Rudy's waiting by their bikes.
• He says, "I told you not to get too close."
• She says, turning around, "Do I have a footprint?" (66.47).