It's in a book... "The Good Thief"

So, I pretty much finished "The Good Thief" the day after I initially started my book club blogging! This book has a lot of build up, but it is DEFINITELY worth it! Once you get in, you should not give up, because the story ties itself up in the craziest bow you've ever seen.

Found this book in the recommended section of the library!

The story is about an orphan, Ren, who gets adopted by a thief, Benjamin Nab, and his partner in crime, Tom. [I'm laughing to myself... because in this case, he really is his PIC!] Benjamin is GREAT at coming up with colorful and surprisingly believable stories to get himself out of every jam they come upon. He tells a great tale to be able to adopt Ren in the first place, and you almost believe that they are brothers. Almost.

Benjamin and Tom use Ren to help them in their schemes to steal and earn money. Ren is very honest and would sometimes rather be back at the orphanage. Pretty much until about the last fourth of the book, I figured that the reader does not find out where Ren really came from, because how could anyone really know-- especially in that period of time. He was pushed through the gate at the orphanage, in a little basket, and was left in the rain. The only unique thing about him is that he was missing a hand, and no one knew why.

So many robberies later, the reader gets to the GOOD stuff. You find out that these guys are the occasional gravediggers, and on the first night that Ren helps them, one of the bodies is NOT DEAD. And the author did such a great job of painting this picture. I was FREAKED OUT! This un-dead character actually turns out to be one of  the soft spots of this book, despite his crusty exterior.

The story is set in New England, several years after the Revolutionary War. I thought this was a very interesting setting, and added to my interest in the book. There are a handful of interesting supporting characters, and my favorite is the landlady that they happen upon. She made me laugh out loud, and is also a real warm spot in the book. Ren definitely deserves all of the love and care that she gives him.

Overall, I don't think that everyone would enjoy this book. It is a little hard to get into, but I am glad that I finished it. It is kind of a dark tale, but ends on a very bright note. The characters are colorful and the story is a little creepy, but the author does a great job at depicting all of the details that make this novel rich and entertaining.

Let me know if you've read it or if you're going to!

M