The Child Thief

A Novel

By: Dan Smith

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of City of Thieves and Child 44, a troubled World War I veteran races across the frozen steppe of 1930's Ukraine to save a child from a shadowy killer with unthinkable plans.

Luka is a war veteran who now wants nothing more than to have a quiet life with his family. His village has, so far, remained hidden from the advancing Soviet brutality. But everything changes the day a stranger arrives, pulling a sled bearing a terrible cargo. When the villagers’ fear turns deadly, they think they have saved themselves. But their anger has cursed them. In the chaos, a little girl has vanished, and Luka is the only man with the skills to find the stolen child and her kidnapper in these frozen lands. Besides, the missing girl is the best friend of Luka’s daughter, and he swears he will find her. Together, with his sons, Luka sets out across lands ravaged by war and gripped by treachery. Soon they realize that the man they are tracking is no ordinary criminal, but a skillful hunter using the child as bait in his twisted game. It will take all of Luka’s strength to battle the harshest of conditions and all of his wit to stay a step ahead of Soviet authorities. And though his toughest enemy is the man he tracks, his strongest bond is a promise to his family back home.

©2013 Dan Smith (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

A great tale told by a peerless narrator.

The story penned by Dan Smith is an exquisite exercise in balance and novelty: he weaves together plot elements, character development, and historical context as one fluid entity. It wasn't that every detail was elaborately scribed—quite the opposite; details are conveyed to the reader as a living person would: colored by experience, by forgetfulness and emotion. The book is a mystery that unfolds in the context of an almost palpable world, and Smith is expert at using restraint as a mainstay to make the villainy and horror of specific moments truly, appallingly stark. On a personal note, I very much appreciated Smith's capacity to end each chapter on a cliffhanger. Each chapter except the last one, I might add, only to note the rarity of a story so well constructed in the beginning and middle to come to a satisfying and believable conclusion.

The strength of the story was lifted an order of magnitude by Bronson Pinchot's narration. Without exception, this is the best performance I have encountered on any audiobook since I was listening to them on cassette tape. Pinchot's calm, accented English was wholly engrossing, making effortless the task of my imagination to create a scene of revolutionary Russia, the cold of the winter, the brutality of the antagonists. I wish I could give him six stars.

One final note for the history-phobes: I have no special affinity for Russian history. In fact, history as a default to me tends to fall on the scale between uninteresting and tedious. This story is simply too delectable to notice that you're learning something at the same time. Like an infant being bait-and-switched with one spoon of pudding substituted at the last minute for another with vegetables, I found myself enthralled with the living context that millions had to endure, which Smith exposes here by the travels and trials of his characters. Dan Smith stages his work in such an authentic feeling, I would be very unsurprised to learn that he is actually ghostwriting for someone who actually lived through the events. By the last page, I was begging for more veggies.

Complex, but believable plot.

Compelling human interactions and depth of character -- even minor characters. Convincing Russian accents. Accurate and informative historical background.

Depends on listening situation

I thought the story and characters were well written. Loved the narrator, he really forces you to pay close attention. It was a little difficult for me because I listen at work and sometimes become distracted but on a car ride or walk this would be ideal

A slow, arduous, depressing descent into hell.

I thought the pain (mental and physical) could not get worse, but each chapter it did. An unpleasant book to read though it was captivating and very well done. The narration is hard to follow due to heavy Russian accent. I had to speed up the playback to 1.25X and increase the volume to better hear and understand the narrator.

Audiobook as an art form

This was a good story if you can deal with grim and the feeling of place that you get is really good. It is, in my opinion, in serious need of an editor as it drags in the middle. I actually skipped a few chapters, which I never do.

The narration is beyond fabulous. Bronson Pinchot is absolutely perfect. He is not just reading a book, he inhabits it.

Narration of a Lifetime, A Story You Won't Forget

This book sat in my Library much too long after I purchased it. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea it would be so compelling and well done.

Briefly, the story takes place in the Ukraine during the 1930's. Luka, a veteran of two wars, is quietly trying to raise his family, his wife Natalia, his twin almost-adult sons, and a younger daughter. They live in a small town hidden away in the mountains, ever hoping the town will escape notice of the brutal, invading Stalinist troops. Everything changes upon the arrival of a nearly dead man pulling a sled with two dead children. The towns people over-react to the man, which adds to the tragedy. Subsequently, a neighbor child goes missing, Luka's young niece who is around 9 years of age and who is also his daughter's best friend. Luka and his brother-in-law along with the twin sons go after the child, as Luka is the only one who has the experience to be able to find and hopefully rescue the young girl.
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This is a very suspenseful story. It is a coming of age time for Luka's sons, who are very different from one another. It is a history lesson to an extent. It is a love story, the love of a family for one another. It is an adventure. All the while, Bronson Pinchot, gives the narration of a lifetime, which elevates the story to even greater heights.

This book is not to be missed. I highly recommend it. It is unforgettable! It is the best of the best in story-telling.

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

FIVE STARS!!!!! I don't give a 5 star rating easily but this novel is a gem that I enjoyed, marveled over, took pearls of wisdom about life from, and was sad to see it end. I can tell you without ant hesitation that this is one of the best books I have listed to and read!!!~ (immersion reading) Characters, plot, location, you name it and it was all there. I am not going to go into detail about the specifics, but to say read all the positive reviews and believe what they say. I was sad to see this book end, but the characters and events will stay with me. To me that is the sign of a meaningful novel that is well told. Narration is excellent after I had it play a 1.5 time. The original speed was a little too slow for me. Other than that read it!!!!

Gripping and beautiful

Where has this book been?! So many books of far lesser quality are on the bestseller lists, and they pale in comparison! This book has it all...plot, exquisitely written prose, fully developed character, historical accuracy...I was hooked from the beginning! And I can't imagine "reading" this book any other way...the narrator nailed Lucka! I was sad to have it end.

Read This Book!

I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book but decided to based on the reviews. The author does a good job of keeping you from knowing what happens next - and gives you so many great twists and turns. While listening I felt it was at its end many times - just to be thrown into another turn. That being said - the ending was a surprise fitting for our hero. The accent of the narrator grows on you - so hang in there if you initially find it off putting. One of my favorite books in awhile!

Gripping & top Notch Narration

Great Russian accented narration that brought home the intensity of this Ukraine based, very human story.