Page 364 - The Book Thief

so gently. Liesel, she whispered, come here. She held the girl from behind,

tightening her grip. She sang a song, but it was so quiet that Liesel could not
make it out. The notes were born on her breath, and they died at her lips. Next to
them, Papa remained quiet and motionless. At one point, he placed his warm
hand on Liesels cool skull. Youll live, it said, and it was right.

To their left, Alex and Barbara Steiner stood with the younger of their children,
Emma and Bettina. The two girls were attached to their mothers right leg. The
oldest boy, Kurt, stared ahead in a perfect Hitler Youth stance, holding the hand
of Karin, who was tiny, even for her seven years. The ten-year-old, Anna-Marie,
played with the pulpy surface of the cement wall.

On the other side of the Steiners were Pfiffikus and the Jenson family.

Pfiffikus kept himself from whistling.

The bearded Mr. Jenson held his wife tightly, and their two kids drifted in and

out of silence. Occasionally they pestered each other, but they held back when it
came to the beginning of true argument.

After ten minutes or so, what was most prominent in the cellar was a kind of
nonmovement. Their bodies were welded together and only their feet changed
position or pressure. Stillness was shackled to their faces. They watched each
other and waited.

DUDEN DICTIONARY MEANING #3
Angst Fear:
An unpleasant, often strong
emotion caused by anticipation
or awareness of danger.
Related words: terror, horror,
panic, fright, alarm.

From other shelters, there were stories of singing Deutschland ber Alles or of

people arguing amid the staleness of their own breath. No such things happened