Author: Hannah Tinti - great website...I want to be her friend!
Publisher: Dial Press, New York, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-385-33745-8
Interest Level: Young adult to Adult
Genre: Fiction, although assigned Dewey 813.6 (American Fiction, 2001-)
Plot Summary: Young Ren, an orphan in nineteenth-century New England, is rescued from the orphanage by Benjamin Nab, who claims to be Ren's brother; but as time goes on Ren begins to question who he can and cannot trust.
Themes/Tags: orphans, New England, historical fiction, trust
Awards and Reviews: Alex Award 01/26/09, Wilson's Fiction 03/01/09, Booklist starred 06/01/08, Publishers Weekly 05/05/08, Kirkus Review starred 06/01/08, New York Times 09/28/08
Booklist starred (June 1, 2008 (Vol. 104, No. 19) Ren doesn’t know how he lost his hand, who his parents are, or how he arrived at St. Anthony’s, a prisonlike orphanage. Certain that no one will ever adopt him, he takes secret revenge on those who beat and torment him by stealing. Then Benjamin Nab appears, claiming Ren as his long-lost younger brother. Off they go, and Ren, a marvelously plucky narrator, is ecstatic. But his savior turns out to be a con man given to diabolical and grotesque endeavors. It’s a ghoulish and violent world right out of the most nihilistic fairy tales, with shades of Dickens and Deadwood. Set in a decimated nineteenth-century New England town ruled by the owner of a mousetrap factory, Tinti’s shivery tale features an otherworldly cast of characters. Each is caught in a snare of some sort and must figure out how to get free. Tinti revealed her macabre sensibility in her story collection, Animal Crackers (2004). In her highly original debut novel, she renders the horrors and wonders she concocts utterly believable and rich in implication as she creates a darkly comedic and bewitching, sinister yet life-affirming tale about the eternal battle between good and evil
Extensions: Include The Good Thief on the assigned reading list. Students will compose a chart to identify elements of diction, imagery, figurative language, point of view, symbolism, plots and main ideas contained in the text. Prompt class discussions on these elements in the book: Which characters has unique ways of speaking, and what tone did they convey? Describe the imagery of some of the locations in North Umbrage and what tone do they convey? In retrospect, think from the point of view of Mrs. Sands and Benjamin that drive their actions. Do you see any symbolism in the mousetrap factory? Think of some of the subplots and how they relate to the overall main idea of the story: the "evil" twins, the ugly mousetrap girls, the doctor who studied corpses, Tom's former life as a teacher. Assess on analyzation efforts, supporting information and classroom participation.
GPS ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation. The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the structures and elements of American fiction and provides evidence from the text to support understanding; the student: a. Locates and analyzes such elements in fiction as language and style, character development, point of view, irony, and structures (i.e., chronological, in medias res, flashback, frame narrative, epistolary narrative) in works of American fiction from different time periods. b. Identifies and analyzes patterns of imagery or symbolism. c. Relates identified elements in fiction to theme or underlying meaning. d. Analyzes, evaluates, and applies knowledge of the ways authors use techniques and elements in fiction for rhetorical and aesthetic purposes. e. Analyzes the influence of mythic, traditional, or classical literature on American literature. f. Traces the history of the development of American fiction..
Terri's Review: ►►►►► 5 Bean and Cheese Nachos (out of 5) This simple, yet magnificent tale is an instant classic that will be on required reading lists for years. Tinti creates an almost Grimm-ish atmosphere, in this darkly moving story set in 19th century New England. Our protagonist is, of course, the archetypal orphan boy - sensitive, worried, bright -- and missing his left hand. Ren is soon rescued by a smooth-talking rogue, Benjamin Nab, who claims to be Ren's older brother. This swaggering con-man takes Ren under his wing, and along with Tom, Benjamin's sidekick, they teach him the ropes in pickpocketing, medicine shows and graverobbing. Before long, Ren realizes Benjamin cannot really be his brother, but now he's the only sort of family he has. Once they settle into Mrs. Sands' boarding house, Ren gets a taste of a real home and a motherly figure, despite her eccentricities. And the eccentric characters abound in this novel which takes plot turns and scenes you never see coming. Exquisite and highly original, this first-time novel of Tinti's is at heart a simple display of fantastic storytelling, and reveals the true nature of love, friendship, and family despite physical and personality flaws. An excellent choice for any library collection young adult and above. The story does contain a few gruesome scenes of shootouts and corpse-stealing, but nothing young adults have not heard before.
