How do authors try to create a feeling of empathy in their readers?

Imagine that you are being chased by a rhino, it's catching up, it's about to hit you and then... you flip the page. Authors are good at making their readers feel empathy. You read about something and there is so many descriptive words that you feel like it is happening right there in front of you. Great authors have the ability to really bring their characters to life. Great books make you feel empathy.

Authors add descriptive words to bring their creations off the page. The breadwinner is a book about a girl named Parvana living in Afghanistan. It has a lot of descriptive words that tell you how it was like in Afghanistan. Descriptive words that create empathy make readers continue reading. I really enjoy books that make you feel empathy, don't you?