The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
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As a baby, Ren was dropped off at Saint Anthony’s orphange, barely alive, and with one hand chopped off. At the age of ten Ren leaves the orphanage with a man who claims to be his uncle Benjamin. Ren becomes a part of Benjamin’s numerous money making plans: the loss of Ren’s hand becoming a means of making money through begging or gaining services of food or lodging. Thus, Ren begins his new life as a companion and help to Benjamin and his partner Tom as they rampage the New England countryside, selling bogus elixers, graverobbing and stealing wherever and whenver possible.
One can’t help but like Ren as he tries do the right thing under the most precarious of situations, always trying to remember the teachings of Saint Anthony. Tinti’s many quirky characters create the feeling of a New England version of a Dickens novel. The novel moves at a quick pace with action occurring in every chapter. And like Dickens there is a lot of heart at the center of novel. This is a fun, quick read that may remind you of books read in your youth. A great story in which to pass a few hours.