Customer Reviews

A Pickpocket's Tale

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When my daughter finished this book she insisted that I read it. I started it with a kind of ho-hum attitude, then found myself quickly locked into the world of colonial New York, Molly the convicted pickpocket, Arabella the slave, the shady Mrs. Wilkins and mischievous little Rachel. I felt like a fly on the wall in the Bell's home and I loved the things that happened there. The book struck me as perfect for middle school children and above - lots of tension, but no terror. I'd recommend it to kids and their parents as a really good read.

I loved this book, both for its rich historical detail and the empathy with which the author treats the characters. There are heroes and villains, as in any good story, and Molly is so realistic that I felt like there was an extra person in the house as I was reading "A Pickpocket's Tale" and all the following week. I would love to hear more about her and her "adventures" in New York, and it would be neat to see how some of the other story lines developed in a second novel.

A week after finishing the book, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the story. Karen Schwabach brought the characters and the time period vividly to life!

Ever since Karen told me that this book was comming out I have been waiting for the day I could buy it. This book is wonderful! The historical detail is great. From the expression of Jewish culture, to the use of 'Flash' talk, to the straightfoward way she presents the life of the poor in London Karen has done an excellent job. This is one that you will not want to put down I read it the day that I recieved it. You will fall in love with Molly and her story.

In 1730, Molly is a ten-year-old orphan who is convicted of pick-pocketing in London and deported to America. Even though her mother was Jewish, Molly is unfamiliar with Jewish customs and rituals. When a Jewish family in the new settlement of New York purchases Molly to be their indentured servant, she learns to follow and respect the Jewish traditions as well as the more civilized lifestyle of a "nib cull." She also learns about the importance of family, forgiveness, and faith. Karen Schwabach's rich descriptions of the food, clothing, living conditions, and scenery are impressive. Her use of the London dialect Flash-cant, used by pickpockets, while adding authenticity and flavor, weighs down the dialogue at times and may frustrate some readers. However, the unique plot, multi-dimensional characters, suspense, and excitement will make this meticulously researched novel a favorite among historical fiction fans. A map of the city of New York and an author's note providing historical background is appended along with a glossary of Flash-cant words and phrases. A great choice for a book club discussion and a fantastic tie-in for students learning about early-American history - highly recommended!

My daughter didn't put down this book, from the moment she picked it up until she finally finished it way, way past her bedtime. Then I picked it up to take a look, and I was caught, too! The story of the early-American immigrant experience, and the look at the history of Jewish people in New York and London, was fascinating, but what really kept my interest was the characters of Molly and the Bell family. I haven't enjoyed a book meant for children so much since HP and the Half-Blood Prince.

When Molly arrives in New York, it is as alien to her as another planet -- which is just as well, because the New York of the early 1700s turns out to be just as strange to us as it is to her. Discovering the city -- actually a small town at the southern end of Manhattan Island -- is pure fun.

At first Molly is not having as much fun as the reader; this is not one of those books that sugar-coat things -- but it is not one of those that revel in grimness, either. Things begin to improve for Molly from the moment she lands in America and lands among decent people trying to get by in difficult times. Karen Cushman's blurb on the back cover ends with "You're going to love this book" -- and you are. (Especially if you're a fan of Karen Cushman's work: "Catherine, Called Birdy," "The Midwife's Apprentice.") Karen Schwabach's realist outlook resembles Karen Cushman's, but she adds a uniquely expressive voice, or rather several voices, of her own. I'm already anxious to find out what happens to these characters next, and hoping for a sequel, or better yet a series.

Molly is saved from London hanging or prolonged imprisonment by a benefactor who arranges for her to be sent to New York where she learns about her Jewish ancestry, and her obligations to the world. A good slice of history, lots of slang used by the street urchins of the day, Flash-cant. Might be interesting to read aloud to kids who have crossed over to the dark side of the law.

Molly Abraham, a young, nominally Jewish street urchin in early-eighteenth-century London, is caught stealing and sentenced to "transportation" -- deported to the American colonies and sold as an indentured servant. Fortunately for her, her indenture is purchased by the Bells, a kind-hearted and moderately prosperous Jewish family in New York. (Apparently Jews in America tried to do this, as much as they could afford to, in part so that Jewish indentured servants would be able to keep Jewish dietary laws.)

Molly does not instantly realize her good fortune, however. She hates New York and is homesick for London; she is also still suspicious and wild -- it takes a while for her to trust the Bells, and even longer to realize that her actions, too, have moral weight. Gradually she comes to terms with New York, with the Bells, and with her own Jewish heritage... but to tell more would be to include spoilers.

In 1730, ten-year-old Molly is a pickpocket on the London streets who is caught and sentenced to be banished to America. While waiting in prison for the trip to America, two gentlemen come to her cell and tell her that she is a "daughter of Israel" and when she gets to America she will be indentured to a Jewish family. Her mother died of smallpox when she was 7, and she has little memory of her heritage. Upon her arrival to America, the Bell family purchases her as an indentured servant until her 21st birthday. The family is very good to her, even teaching her to read, but Molly is determined to get back to the London she knows. Molly grudgingly learns about compassion, family, and the real meaning of freedom through her contact with an abused African slave. Some characters speak an old London dialect called Flash or Flash-cant, a secret language that thieves invented so they could hide what they are saying. There is a glossary at the end with the definitions of the words used in the book. Children should particularly enjoy this aspect of the book. This is an engaging novel for young readers with historically accurate information about life in London and New York that is presented with all its complexity. It is particularly useful as an excellent introduction to the life of the Jews in New York at that time, and includes a map of New York in the 1730's. This book was the winner of the manuscript award of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Ages 8 - 12. Reviewed by Barbara Silverman

The life of a poor pickpocket girl is not that luxurious. Molly, the pickpocket in this book, is a clever but nice thief in the streets of London, and who finds stealing is the only way to stay alive. But when another thief, Molly's arch enemy, turns her in, she is sent miles and miles away from London into a strange place they call 'New York'. Living with a family clean and well fed, it takes Molly quite a while to fit in. You will laugh, cry, and just scream out in frustration at Molly's story, and will get frightened at the dangers of the streets, or perhaps sigh at the sweetness of Molly finally finding her place.