Fagin the Thief

A Novel

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION ● EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVEL ● A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London’s most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

"Fagin the Thief takes one of literature's greatest rogues and gives him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight. Layered and clever, Epstein's story is as ambitious as it is deeply satisfying." --Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You

Long before Oliver Twist stumbled onto the scene, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob's whole world is his open-minded mother, Leah. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.

Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London's highest value neighborhoods while forging his own path in the shadows. But everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. Along the way, Jacob’s found family expands to include his closest friend, Nancy, and his greatest protégé, the Artful Dodger. But as Bill’s ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what he really stands for—and what a life is worth.

Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London--reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.

A masterpiece — written and vocalized

Wow. Blown away. Also not surprised. The author is brilliant (follow her Substack for genius rifts on bad historical actors and just so many opinions).

Our local theatre produced Oliver not too long ago, with a brilliant portrayal of Fagin—made him come alive. And that’s what this book, and performance, does for a full picture of Fagin. What an imagination. What wording! And what a reading. The narrator and production are pitch perfect. I better see this book and audio nominated for awards. Not to miss.

not Oliver!

I love the story and the voice. I would highly recommend listening to this book. I probably should read however twist now but I doubt that I will

Outstanding

This story and its narrative performance had me in an absolute chokehold. I love the old story of Oliver Twist and in the way that “James” made Jim from Huck Finn a three-dimensional and unforgettable character that now seems completely organic to the original tale, so does Epstein succeed in making Fagin his own man and the character of Fagin will never again, for me, be anyone else but THIS Fagin. Never again will Bill Sykes and Nan Reed be anyone else but THIS Bill and Nan. Whew! I found this incredibly rich and moving and it will stay with me for a long time. Watt’s narration was spectacular. How do so many voices, accents, and intonations come out of one man’s mouth? He created a deeply immersive experience and I am one who normally has a hard time finishing audiobooks because there always seems to be something wrong in the voice for the story. Not here. Pitch. Perfect.

Excellent book!

I really enjoyed this book. The author created a very interesting "backstory" for Fagin, describing his life from childhood up to the times described in Oliver Twist, including how he met and interacted with Bill Skykes, Nancy and the boys who lived with him, Moreover, her alternative version of the last portions of Oliver Twist was quite fascinating. In addition, the book was quite well-written and the narrator was superb. All-in-all, this is a book I highly recommend.

Superb story telling and performance

Seamless integration of Fagrin’s backstory into Dickens’ overall plot, enriching the depth of characters and the setting.