The Wind Thief [Paperback]

Martha Engber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2009

A tale of obsession and redemption, The Wind Thief is the story of two souls who are swept from land to land, one in search of a home, the other in search of a war, and both ever a step behind the peace they seek. Ajay, a young thief from India, is on his way to a better life when he is forced to flee Algiers and subsequently gets lost in the Sahara desert. He is saved by a strange young woman who believes she can talk to the winds, a gift that will save mankind from an imminent apocalypse only she can stop. Ajay has no choice but to follow her out of the barren wasteland, intending to abandon her once they reach Morocco. Yet when he gets the chance to escape her, he realizes he no longer can. He follows, and continues to follow, even when serious dangers loom.

Editorial Reviews

Review

- From the opening scene in the desolation of the Sahara Desert to the final conclusion on a storm-blasted mountaintop, Martha Engber weaves a haunting tale of the ultimate triumph of love between Ajay, the thief from Mumbai, and the strangely obsessed young woman Madina. Reminiscent of the late Garcia Marquez's Erendira and Her Heartless Grandmother. --Homer Gallagher, author of Tales of the Mosquito Coast

About the Author

Martha Engber is the author of Growing Great Characters from the Ground up: A Thorough Primer for Writers of Fiction and Nonfiction. A journalist by profession, her poetry and fiction have appeared in various literary journals. Long fascinated by the nature of wind and the Sahara Desert, Martha Engber has blended both to create the exotic starting point and unusual theme of The Wind Thief. She lives with her family in Northern California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: Alondra Press; First edition (September 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981452345
• ISBN-13: 978-0981452340
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,937,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martha Engber's literary novel, THE WIND THIEF, has been awarded a 5-star "original and highly recommended" rating from the Midwest Book Review. She is also the author of GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP: A THOROUGH PRIMER FOR WRITERS OF FICTION AND NONFICTION. A journalist by profession, she's interviewed former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell, actress Marlo Thomas and other celebrities. A workshop facilitator, lecturer and book editor, she's had a full-length play produced in Hollywood. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in Watchword, Iconoclast, Bookpress, the Berkeley Fiction Review and other literary journals. She maintains Growing Great Writers From the Ground Up, a blog for writers. Martha lives with her family in Northern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Fable, October 18, 2009

By 

Carol Smallwood - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wind Thief (Paperback)

The Wind Thief by Martha Engber is a fable for our time filled with lyrical descriptions such as "clouds the color of bruises". Once you begin reading about Ajay in the Sahara Desert, you'll be captivated by his adventures with Madina, a young woman his age, who talks to the wind. Egber is a master writer, and this is a very readable tale. Carol Smallwood, author of Lily's Odyssey, and co-editor of, Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages

5.0 out of 5 stars My Second Review, December 4, 2011

By 

Catherine Dix (Alamosa, CO, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wind Thief (Paperback)

I wrote an Amazon review for The Wind Thief last year, but as I revisited this wonderful book this morning I came back here to remember what I'd written only to find that the review wasn't listed! Not sure what happened but allow me to try to improve upon what I'd said the last time:

I don't know that I've ever read a more fluid book, a book that immediately pulls you in and doesn't allow you to take a break from the journey until its completion. The main characters, through Engber, do not pause or digress. It is a forward-moving story with such stark beauty in both language and landscape that you'll find yourself reading and then rereading passages to relish their power. Engber takes us on journey that nimbly moves from desert to sea, from Africa to South America. The Wind Thief is filled with charm, wit, mystery, and a vivid landscape. But what makes this story great is the story of human connection between two characters who are both equally strong yet vulnerable. Also, I will never look at the wind in the same way again.

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding masterpiece, a must read., August 5, 2011

By 

Joylene L. Butler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wind Thief (Paperback)

The Wind Thief is a beautifully written literary piece about a young man who decides to save a broken young woman with more scars than just the one across one side of her face. The Wind Thief is a tale so gripping you're captive from the first line. And if you're a writer, you'll find yourself studying every word, trying to capture the essence of great writing, until without warning, you've forgotten you're even reading at all.

Miss Engber's prose will sting and tug and pull at your heartstrings no matter how tough you think you are. Because while you're on a journey from the Sahara Desert to Morocco to South America to Jamaica, you're no longer simply a reader, you're a participant. The Wind Thief is what great writing should be about. A journey on the wings of a quest that will stay with you long after you've reached the end.

The Wind Thief, a story of salvation, yearning, survival, is rich with metaphors in a language that is easy to read and to escape into. Ajay sets out to save Madina and does just that. Madina sets out to save the world and ends up understanding more about life than most of us ever do.

Scars, fear, faith, but most of all The Wind Thief is about heroes.