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.

Captivating!

It started out slow and I almost quit reading as I had difficulty understanding the accent, but very soon my ear became accustomed to it. The detail was captivating about the thoughts and feelings of those going through the Russian revolution. Sometimes the characters did stupid things, but then, in a story they often do. Soon I had to keep listening and I still remember most of the book after reading months ago.

Great book

This was a very good book, kept me up all night listening to it. The narrator was excellent, best I've ever heard. I'll look for more books narrated by him. Characters were brought to life.

Stunning - Would Rate This 6 Stars If I Could

I have been telling people about this book ever since I started listening - and have told everyone to LISTEN rather than read it. This narrator was brilliant and brought Dan Smith's amazing story up to another level. I didn't want to miss a sentence in this book and if I thought I had, I went back. Tragic and yet hopeful. Painful and yet inspiring. One of the best books EVER from Audible.

Dan Smith + Bronson Pinchot = MUST LISTEN

I normally listen at about 1.5x speed, but after a few chapters of The Child Thief -- I wanted to savor every bit of this story and switched to 1.0x...
From then on, it just got better and better. Bronson's performance here makes me think there should be an Academy Awards category for audiobook performances.

Worth Every Star! One of the best in long time

I don't often write reviews, just do the ratings, BUT this novel is so good I had to write a review. When I started listening I was not sure about the narrator, but before I knew it I was completely pulled into the story. The characters are so real as is the story, and its full of twists and turns - raw and real and unforgettable - you feel as if you are there - in the snow the cold, in a brutal environment. You feel the sorrow and hardship and pain that people in Stalinst Russia experienced - from a very personal perspective. You get to know and understand the characters, see both there is both bad and good in people - and weaving in and out of the this very human story is the suspense that evolves and takes surprising turns. This is a mystery, a survival tale, a human story, a snapshot of history, all woven together so expertly and narrated so perfectly! Broke the run of same old mystery/suspense story doldrums i seem to have experienced lately with so many of the books i purchased!

Sustained Tension

What did you love best about The Child Thief?

I purchased the kindle edition and added the whispersync. After hearing Bronson Pinchot's reading, I listened to the audio version with the exception of two read chapters. The snow, the cold, the near silence - Mr. Pinchot's narration imbued the tale with subtle nuance which I don't believe I would have read into the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I do not do extreme, but I found myself being very conscious of keeping my breath quiet and shallow - sitting very still because I was fully engaged.

Any additional comments?

Intelligent suspense with the best possible narrator, combined to make The Child Thief an encompassing experience.

Even bad men can do good things.

I really loved this book. It was great to be reminded of the blessings and beauty that surround me daily. Good men can do bad things, and bad men can do things, when they want.
The narration was great! Authentic and emotional. great job

Bleak and Depressing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would have to warn any friend who was thinking of listening to this book that it was just too full of unrelenting sadness and hopelessness.

Would you recommend The Child Thief to your friends? Why or why not?

I wouldn't recommend it. The writing and narration was great but it was just too depressing. If I'd been reading it, I would have skipped through to the end to see how it turned out. For those who don't know what the people of the Ukraine suffered under Lenin and Stalin's rule, it is a good education. They were unrelentingly inhumane. After a few examples tho, I'd had enough. When Luka was a prisoner, it seemed like it went on for months. Then they said he'd only been a captive for 2 days! Felt lots longer to me.Also, I felt like the entire concept of the story didn't really seem like it could have happened in the time they were living. All of Luka's experiences with the Communists happened to people but I think demented, child killers who ate flesh and made a game of it are more of a modern concept.

Which character – as performed by Bronson Pinchot – was your favorite?

I liked the main character, Luka for his strength and endurance. It's hard to believe that people actually endured this sort of life and still continued living. I did like Bronson Pinchot's narration because it really fit the story and Luka.

Do you think The Child Thief needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, I really couldn't endure anymore suffering.

Any additional comments?

This book reminded me of Unbroken. People raved about that book and it was a best seller for months. I listened to that one and skipped through many parts because how much can you take of someone being beaten and starved and tortured? I felt like we were living a day to day account of his life in the Japanese prison camp.The Japanese were BAD, ok I got it. In this book, it was the same. The Communists were inhuman. I skipped over some parts just to get through it, altho I did like Luka and wanted to see how things turned out in the book, it was just too depressing to listen to every word.

Masterful tale of suspense and action

A great can't turn of listen story, the characters emotions and feeling brilliantly detailed leading to an edge of suspense that's an absolute pit of gold. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Dan

Excellent

Interesting from beginning to end
Definitely recommend this book and author.
You won't be disappointed.