It Takes a Thief

8/8/2019

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

"It's impossible," she told herself.
But, whispered a small voice inside her, impossible doesn't mean it's not worth trying.

Nobody can fashion a tale quite like master story-spinner Katherine Rundell.
Her previous books have taken her readers to Africa, Paris, Russia, and the Amazon rainforest. Now she turns her considerable storytelling skills to North America. The Good Thieves is set in New York City during the 1920’s, an era of speakeasies and bootleg liquor. It was a time rife with crime and corruption, when mob bosses could shamelessly pay their way into influencing government officials. Much of the action takes place at familiar city landmarks: Central Park, Plaza Hotel, Main Library, subway, the Bowery.

Vita and her mother travel to America to rescue her grandfather. Due to a fraudulent scheme perpetuated by crime lord Victor Sorrotore, Grandfather has lost the family home, a magnificent old castle. The swindle has left him destitute.

This young heroine sets out to retrieve her grandfather's hidden jewel and reclaim his rightful property. She meets and enlists the help of a young pickpocket, an animal trainer, and an aerialist. The foursome set out to steal back grandfathers stolen property.

There is a plan. Like all plans, things don't go exactly as intended. Events take several unexpected turns. There are interesting plot twists and perils that will keep readers in suspense, breathlessly turning pages. Vita is resolute. Despite obstacles, a painfully malformed foot, and her own fears to she is determined to prevail. She is motivated by her sense of justice and love for her grandfather. The tenderness of her devotion becomes evident when she returns to her grandfather with the hard-won prize.

In a bizarre turn of events, a section of my hometown experienced a power outage. I read a large portion of the tale, including intense scenes, by flashlight. I sat in pitch darkness reading with a small circle of light illuminating each page. Try reading of a penknife sailing through the air with deadly accuracy, of guard dogs trained to kill, of tortoises with diamonds and rubies implanted into their shells, of riding bareback through the night on "borrowed" horses. Try reading this in the deepest and darkest of nights.

This is not the time to be afraid...You can be afraid later, when it's over.

The tale is a heart- pounding, while knuckled, breath- catching escapade. Tension mounts and becomes almost unbearable as Vita limps through the dark castle, trying to locate the hidden emerald. Sorrotore simultaneously begins a systematic search in the lightless rooms, seeking the girl who stole his ring and seizing the secret cache.

The Good Thieves is a story of a girl with a simple wish which is not-so-simple. It’s a story of extraordinary courage and daunting obstacles. It’s a story of miracles.