Contents
Chapter 70 - The Bitter Taste of Questions
Overview
Liesel and Rosa receive Hans Hubermann’s letter announcing his broken leg and imminent return home, sparking elation. Sharing the news with the Steiners lifts their spirits, but Rudy’s joy is tempered by painful questions about why his father, Alex, has not been sent home. The moment mixes relief with survivor’s guilt.
Summary
In mid-February, just after Liesel’s birthday, a detailed letter from Hans Hubermann arrives. Liesel rushes it to Rosa, reads it aloud, and they learn Hans has a broken leg. Relief turns to joy when the letter confirms he is being sent home. Rosa and Liesel embrace, celebrating that injury has brought safety.
Carrying the news next door, Liesel tells the Steiners. Barbara Steiner exclaims happily, calling in her family, and the household brightens. Rudy smiles and laughs, trying to match the mood, but Liesel senses his unease.
As the excitement settles, Rudy’s private questions surface: why Hans Hubermann is returning while Alex Steiner is not. The chapter closes on that bittersweet tension, contrasting the Hubermanns’ relief with the Steiners’ continuing absence and uncertainty.
Who Appears
- Liesel MemingerReceives Hans’s letter, reads it to Rosa, spreads the news to the Steiners.
- Rosa HubermannListens to Hans’s letter and celebrates his impending return with Liesel.
- Rudy SteinerTries to be happy for Hans’s return but questions why his own father isn’t home.
- Hans HubermannWrites from the front; reports a broken leg and that he’s coming home.
- Barbara SteinerRejoices at the news in her kitchen, rallying her family’s spirits.