Literature drives both characterization and the plot in Funke’s Inkheart. From the opening chapters, Mo and Meggie’s life is dictated by their love for books:

[T]he books in Mo and Meggie’s house were stacked under tables, on chairs, in the corners of the rooms. There were books in the kitchen and books in the lavatory. Books on the TV set and in the closet, small piles of books, tall piles of books, books thick and thin, books old and new (4).

Their travels are dictated by Mo’s work as a book binder, and books are used to remember joyful times and as a salve in bad times. Meggie Folchart and Mo Folchart bond over a shared reverence for books, to the point where Meggie feels that her father does not simply repair books for a living; he is a “Book Doctor,” healing his “patients” with skill and care. Meggie turns to books when Dustfinger’s ominous visit upends her peaceful life, as her greatest comfort is being able to escape into a story. Literature has the power to bring people together: not just Mo and Meggie, but also Mo and Meggie’s mother, who bonded over a shared love of stories.