Theft: Stories

N.S. Koenings
Back Bay Books (2008)
ISBN 9780316001861
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/08)


“Theft” consists of five uniquely different short stories.  Each one takes place in different places and cultures.  The main characters tend to be colorful and unique.  Even though the cultures are different, there is a common thread of humanness that runs through all of the characters.  Each person has their own flaws and frailties.  The author, N.S. Koenings does an incredible job of writing realistic scenes with colorful metaphors.  As you read these tales you will definitely feel like you are a fly on the wall watching them play out. 
       
I enjoyed reading of the places that I have never been.  Through the characters eyes, I felt like I was there.  Even though they cover time periods from 1980 to 1996, each story is timeless.  I feel this way because the core of each character is so real; it is that part of us that does not change with time or in fashion.  Even though these are short stories, Koenings writes them in a way that makes you feel like you aren’t missing any parts of the story.  She manages to fill in information about the past and information about what is currently happening so nothing seems left out.
      
I highly recommend “Theft.”  I think that this would be a great choice for reader’s groups.  Each story would inspire interesting and thought-provoking conversations. I can’t even recommend one story over another; I think that readers will enjoy all of them. 

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