Narrator DeLanna Studi accomplishes an impressive feat in narrating this novel, set in the 1950s. Her depiction of 9-year-old Kit Crockett resonates as she captures the tone and often breathless cadence of the bright child. Kit's Cherokee mother dies early on, and her white father commits a seemingly justified double murder, but he still spends much of the novel in jail. The soulless clergy who take responsibility for Kit are depicted as rigid and craven. One sends Kit to a horrific boarding school, where Native girls are abused by the minister in charge. Studi portrays the wise Kit as a person who skillfully navigates the natural world and knows how to fend for herself. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Stealing: A Novel
Narrated by DeLanna Studi
Margaret VerbleUnabridged — 6 hours, 43 minutes
Stealing: A Novel
Narrated by DeLanna Studi
Margaret VerbleUnabridged — 6 hours, 43 minutes
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Overview
“This powerful novel should join classics like Ernest J. Gaines's The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Helena Maria Viramontes's Under the Feet of Jesus, and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.”-New York Times Book Review
A gripping, gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s-an ambitious, eye-opening reckoning of history and small-town prejudices from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble.*
Kit Crockett lives on a farm with her grief-stricken, widowed father, tending the garden, fishing in a local stream, and reading Nancy Drew mysteries from the library bookmobile. One day, Kit discovers a mysterious and beautiful woman has moved in just down the road.
Kit and the newcomer, Bella, become friends, and the lonely Kit draws comfort from her. But when a malicious neighbor finds out, Kit suddenly finds herself at the center of a tragic, fatal crime and becomes a ward of the court. Her Cherokee family wants to raise her, but the righteous Christians in town instead send her to a religious boarding school. Kit's heritage is attacked, and she's subjected to religious indoctrination and other forms of abuse. But Kit secretly keeps a journal recounting what she remembers-and revealing just what she has forgotten. Over the course of Stealing, she unravels the truth of how she ended up at the school and plots a way out. If only she can make her plan work in time.
In swift, sharp, and stunning prose, Margaret Verble spins a powerful coming-of-age tale and reaffirms her place as an indelible storyteller and chronicler of history.
Editorial Reviews
01/23/2023
Verble, a Pulitzer finalist for Maud’s Line, draws on the abuses at Native American and First Nations boarding schools for her blistering latest, set in the 1950s somewhere along the Arkansas River. Nine-year-old Kit Crockett has been lonely since the death of her Cherokee mother; her white father cares for her as best he can. When glamorous Bella moves into a nearby cabin that used to be Kit’s uncle’s, Kit revels in the woman’s maternal affection, but the locals aren’t very welcoming toward the outsider, who descends from a “stew” of Native and white ancestors. In the aftermath of a tragedy, the details of which are made clear near the end, local clerical and legal authorities compel Kit to attend a nearby boarding school, where she and other Native girls are subjected to prejudice and abuse. Kit’s only solace is her journal, in which she traces her friendship with Bella and chronicles the school’s mistreatment of students. Kit’s realistically naive perspective and her appealingly digressive narration build suspense and intrigue as readers slowly grasp the scale of the losses that will shape her life. Evoking the title, the varied meanings of “steal” (both to abscond and to creep) weave throughout the story in clever ways. Verble’s skillful storytelling does justice to a harrowing chapter of history. Agent: Lynn Nesbit, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Feb.)
"Tender and eye-opening…Stealing is a masterclass in storytelling… Verble has harnessed the art of how to shoot straight to the heart of a story, and it is an experience not to be missed.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Frank and fearless, the novel is a portrait of perseverance.” — Christian Science Monitor, 10 Best Books of February
“Stealing packs a major punch… Vivid and immediate, passionate and meticulously researched, Stealing is magnetic and unforgettable, unflinching and searing. Readers of Winter Counts, All Girls and The Nickel Boys will be stunned and stupefied by this courageous, thoughtful account." — Bookreporter.com
“Blistering… Verble’s skillful storytelling does justice to a harrowing chapter of history.” — Publishers Weekly
"Verble tells a memorable and sobering story about injustice, hypocrisy, and resilience. Verble upholds her legacy of indelible Cherokee characters—and weaves a dynamic mystery, too.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This powerful novel should join classics like Ernest J. Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Helena Maria Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.” — New York Times Book Review
“Captivating, subtly crafted… Beautifully written and paced, Stealing is an invaluable contribution to a crucial — and too often repressed — history that haunts us still.” — Chapter 16 + Nashville Scene
“Verble is an immensely gifted writer…a compelling novel from an author who writes with sensitivity and compassion.” — NPR on When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
“Through a joyful interweaving of pragmatic storytelling and spiritual realism, Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble breathes life into a bygone era…Combining meticulous research, a fresh point-of-view and vivid imagery, Verble’s third novel does what historical fiction does best: folds a compelling story into a snapshot of time before life changed.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution on When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
“In this fun, entertaining and highly informative historical novel, award-winning author Margaret Verble, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, surrounds Two Feathers' story with a concise history of the area and an in-depth look at the social culture and mores of the times… [Verble] will have you believing and cheering...Great fun.” — Florida Times-Union on When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
“Alternatively funny and touching, this novel has a distinctly original and unconventional feel.” — Ms. Magazine on When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
“[An] expansive and well-researched historical work.” — Buzzfeed
“Verble beautifully weaves period details with the cast’s histories, and enthralls with the supernatural elements, which are made as real for the reader as they are for the characters. This lands perfectly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
“Fans of Karen Russell will love this spellbinding new story from Pulitzer Prize–finalist Margaret Verble.” — Country Living
“A compelling, haunting read full of history.” — Alma
"This utterly memorable, beautifully written story will linger with readers." — Booklist (starred review)
"An ambitious novel that’s impressive in its scope and concept: Glendale Park Zoo and the 101 are rife with narrative possibility and give the author a chance to examine a fascinating cross section of race and class." — Kirkus Reviews
Effectively deploying her diverse cast of characters, Verble—an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma—captures the complex social interactions of the time. From race relations to social class to working conditions, Verble addresses key issues while spinning her ghost story around the fictionalized employees of a park that actually existed...Readers of general fiction will enjoy. — Library Journal
"A remarkably fresh, beautifully written novel...This is a substantial book, hard to put down." — Worcester Magazine
“Two Feathers Fell from the Sky is a rich and lively novel, steeped in place and history. Verble’s meticulous research and generosity of spirit shine through, lending her characters and their adventures a fullness that lingers.” — Kelli Jo Ford, author of Crooked Hallelujah and winner of the Plimpton Prize
“Verble has given historical fiction lovers a real gift.” — New York Times Book Review
“Margaret Verble is an exceptional storyteller.” — Ron Rash, author of Serena
“[Margaret Verble] gives careful consideration to place, having spent a lot of time on these lands, rivers, and streams, and through direct encounters with all the inhabitants of this place—both people and animals, their natures and behaviors. This is all rich source material that informs her writing.” — National Museum of the American Indian magazine
Narrator DeLanna Studi accomplishes an impressive feat in narrating this novel, set in the 1950s. Her depiction of 9-year-old Kit Crockett resonates as she captures the tone and often breathless cadence of the bright child. Kit's Cherokee mother dies early on, and her white father commits a seemingly justified double murder, but he still spends much of the novel in jail. The soulless clergy who take responsibility for Kit are depicted as rigid and craven. One sends Kit to a horrific boarding school, where Native girls are abused by the minister in charge. Studi portrays the wise Kit as a person who skillfully navigates the natural world and knows how to fend for herself. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2023-01-12
A young Cherokee girl in the 1950s American South narrates the events resulting in her placement in a residential school.
Karen “Kit” Crockett is just a girl, but she’s already experienced more loss than most. Her mother, who was Cherokee, died of tuberculosis, leaving Kit alone at the age of 6 with her White father. Shortly after, Kit’s Uncle Joe (her mother’s brother) is killed in a knife fight. It’s Joe’s loss and the vacancy of the home he lived in just down the rural road from Kit that lead to the first good thing in Kit’s life since her mother died. A woman in her late 20s moves into Joe’s cabin, and she and Kit strike up a friendship. Bella is not like anyone Kit’s met before. A divorcée, Bella lives alone but has multiple male friends who come and go. She is by turns effusive and anxious, though Kit is honored by Bella’s attention and sometimes clingy in her need of her company. But some locals’ dislike of Bella confuses Kit, and it isn’t until a shocking crime occurs that Kit can see the true costs of not fitting in—for her and Bella both. Kit is a loquacious narrator who weaves back and forth between the lead-up and aftermath of the crime and her present life at the residential school she was sent to. Her plucky tone can seem at odds with the dark tale, and though it’s perhaps true to the nature of a child storyteller, it can be distracting when Kit repeats herself or meanders in the narrative. (She devotes a great deal of time to details of fishing expeditions, for example.) Nevertheless, Verble tells a memorable and sobering story about injustice, hypocrisy, and resilience.
Verble upholds her legacy of indelible Cherokee characters—and weaves a dynamic mystery, too.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940174876842 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 02/07/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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