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There are currently 21 member reviews
for Stealing
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Sally D. (Jacksonville, FL)
Wonderful story
One of my favorite books in a long time. I am bringing it to my book club next month. I think they will love it.
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Sheila B. (Danvers, MA)
Heartbreaking, Maddening, But Most of All Very, Very Sad
WOW. If you have any heart at all, this book will break it into a million pieces. This story is told by a 1950s era Cherokee nine year old girl who is done wrong by every white adult she meets. This is a book for people who like an unreliable narrator (my favorite kind) and a gritty, believable story. There were times I was so moved by her horrific life that I actually had to pause to take a breath.
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Valerie
Resilience
Kit reminds me of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. Feisty and smart. Enduring multiple tragedies, she continues to fight back. Highly recommended book.
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Darrell W. (Hillsboro, OR)
Stealing on Many Levels
Kit Crockett, a Cherokee teenager, in the hands and pen of Margaret Verble, leaves a personal journal written while in an orphanage. Kit tells us how she got there and what she endured. Kit reveals the many levels of stealing a heart, a soul, a culture, a family and steals a place in the reader's heart during the telling. Verble is a wonderful weaver of stories and embodies the thinking, feeling and language of a sensitive, intelligent girl. I heartily recommend this book to any reader willing to plow through the ugliness and accept a beautiful child into their heart.
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Gloria K. (Madison, WI)
Stealing
As a lover of the novel "Where the Crawdads Sing", my interest was piqued in the first few pages of Stealing. I am a member of the Baby Boomer Generation and subsequently this powerful tale set in the 1950's seemed familiar to me. During my pre-teen years I read the entire series of Nancy Drew Mysteries and identified with her (with the exception of me not owning a red roadster!)
The theme of stripping Native Americans of their heritage was powerfully narrated by the protagonist, Kim Crockett. The abuse endured by Native American children forced to attend boarding schools is a story that needs to be told.
As a resident of Wisconsin and former resident of New Mexico I have heard firsthand from Native Americans about situations that took place in the 1950's. Today I see art and educational events trying to bridge the gap between then and now. Specifically, the Milwaukee Art Museum is opening an exhibition in February titled "Native America in Translation." The exhibition will explore indigenous histories, cultures and representation through contemporary photography.
Earlier this year the Madison Public Library sponsored their first Native American Storyteller-in-residence to explain tribal customs and traditions to the community at large and to students of all ages. I am optimistic the transfer of knowledge will positively foster the importance of understanding the Native American culture as it was in the past and the influence it has on society today.
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Jennifer H. (Mishawaka, IN)
One of the Best of 30 Books read in 2022
This is easily one of the best books I have read all year. Spoken in the voice of an 11 year old girl, it is so real and readable. It deals with a half American Indian girl who gets involved in a tragic crime and winds up in one of the terrible homes that were meant to "Americanize" Native Americans. Eye opening and shameful. But I read this in two days. My only gripe is I would have like an ending that was more concrete. For those who liked Where the Crawdads Sings, and even, To Kill a Mockingbird. Do not miss this one!
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Mary L. (Greeley, CO)
Unforgettable Young Narrator
In nonlinear fashion we follow young Kit's journaling of challenges she faces in her 1950s life after her Cherokee mother's early death. Her WWII veteran father loves Kit and remains close to his wife's Cherokee family. As the reader comes to trust Kit's innocent wisdom and voice, outside self-righteous, supposedly "Christian" persons, enter into her father's and her lives. Forced to be known as "Karen," the reader will cheer for Kit as she shares details and seeks to reveal truth.
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