Stealing

A Novel

By: Margaret Verble

Narrated by: DeLanna Studi

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

“This powerful novel should join classics like Ernest J. Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Helena Maria Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.”—New York Times Book Review

A gripping, gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s—an ambitious, eye-opening reckoning of history and small-town prejudices from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble.

Kit Crockett lives on a farm with her grief-stricken, widowed father, tending the garden, fishing in a local stream, and reading Nancy Drew mysteries from the library bookmobile. One day, Kit discovers a mysterious and beautiful woman has moved in just down the road.

Kit and the newcomer, Bella, become friends, and the lonely Kit draws comfort from her. But when a malicious neighbor finds out, Kit suddenly finds herself at the center of a tragic, fatal crime and becomes a ward of the court. Her Cherokee family wants to raise her, but the righteous Christians in town instead send her to a religious boarding school. Kit’s heritage is attacked, and she’s subjected to religious indoctrination and other forms of abuse. But Kit secretly keeps a journal recounting what she remembers—and revealing just what she has forgotten. Over the course of Stealing, she unravels the truth of how she ended up at the school and plots a way out. If only she can make her plan work in time.

In swift, sharp, and stunning prose, Margaret Verble spins a powerful coming-of-age tale and reaffirms her place as an indelible storyteller and chronicler of history.

©2023 Margaret Verble (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Original story heard from an uncommon narrator’s voice.

The voice of a young indigenous American Indian girl so honest and pragmatic. Wise beyond her years in one light and so innocent and trusting in a way that only a child can be. Made me want to burn the world down to protect her. Too many female voices demand this. In this book, as with many others, we are not allowed to forget or make excuses for the transgressions of our American forefathers. She speaks with humor and humility that makes us want to be better humans.

Margaret Verble, master storyteller

Stealing is a compelling story of a native girl in eastern Oklahoma who liberates herself from abuse. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated. Margaret Verble is a master story teller.

Unforgettable Character and Story

Kit Crockett is a character you won't soon forget. She narrates this coming of age story through flashbacks to the life she had before she was removed from her Cheorokee family and sent to a Christian residential school. She is a smart and resourceful child whose innocence is stolen from her when tragedy strikes. We come to learn of the circumstances surrounding her removal to the boarding school and the abuse (including sexual abuse) she endures before and during her stay there. Margaret Verble has written a powerful story. To me, the ending was a bit unsatisfying but overall it was well worth listening to/reading. The performance was stellar. DeLanna Studi perfectly captures the voice of Kit.

Ended too soon.

I thought it was interesting. There a lot of truth in the story. Native children were stolen from their families and many suffered horrible abuse. I would like to have read more, seeing justice given to the abusers.

Really entertaining

Really entertaining and well constructed story, and informatively all too believable. The language of the child narrator seems realistic.

Boring

Just gets into then ends. Would not recommend to others. Sad story but thats about it