I have mixed feelings about this book. While it was a quick and engaging read, I couldn't help resenting that the author has no regrets or qualms about stealing jewels for a living her whole life. She felt that she couldn't make it any other way, and that she deserved what she stole because of the prejudice that she experienced growing up. I wondered how many people lost their jobs because they let a woman walk out the door with a $20K or $200K diamond. How did that impact their lives? Maybe the store was insured, but how about the clerks whom she stole from? She has been stealing her whole life, and was arrested in her '80s for shoplifting from Walmart! I received this book as an advance reading copy at a library conference, and the editor talked it up as a fascinating portrait of a woman who got away with so much, as if it were charming, but I didn't feel that way reading it. I'm glad it was a short book! This was my book club's October book; I'll be very interested to see what everyone else thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment