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The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Vita’s grandfather used to own a castle.
Her affluent ancestors had an ancient castle shipped from Europe to the United States. Stone by stone, the castle was painstakingly rebuilt on the shores of the Hudson River and surrounded by gardens, mazes and stables. Over the years, the family’s fortune was squandered but the castle remained, ramshackle and rundown, but lovingly tended by Vita’s beloved grandparents.
Until the castle is stolen.
Her grandfather, grief-stricken after the death of his wife, falls prey to an unscrupulous and treacherous gangster named Victor Sorrotore. The castle is swindled away for a measly $200. Vita and her mother immediately travel from England to recover what has been taken.
But it is not just the castle that has been lost. Her grandfather’s spirit has been broken. He is a shadow of the sparkling, kind figure that helped Vita recover from polio by teaching her to throw stones with deadly accuracy. For weeks while Vita was stuck in an iron lung to help her breathe, her grandfather stayed by her side and helped her rebuild her strength.
While her mother argues with bankers and lawyers, Vita takes the law into her own hands and decides to steal the castle back.
Prohibition-era Manhattan comes to life as Vita gathers a motley crew of “good” thieves: Silk, an Irish pickpocket; Arkady, a Russian circus boy with a gift for charming animals; and Samuel, a boy from South Rhodesia who dreams of becoming an acrobat.
The Good Thieves is a middle grade historical heist novel full of feisty characters, daring nocturnal adventures, and plenty of twists to keep every reader entertained. Katherine Rundell, author of The Rooftoppers, has created another winning work for readers grades three and up.
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