Thanks for reading the book! You can see in the other comments below, I don’t give test answers to students, but I will try and help.

Do you know what a metaphor is? Let’s start there.

A metaphor is when you compare something to something else, without using the word “like” or “as.” (That’s a simile.) Here’s a site that might help explain it in more detail.

Now that you understand what a metaphor is, it should be easy to find examples in The Good Thief. Just pick a character or a place in the story, and see what they are compared to.

Good luck!
Hannah

Glad you enjoyed the book. I’m guessing you were assigned it for a class, since you’re asking about themes.

I can’t answer that for you–it wouldn’t be fair–but I’ll point you in the right direction. Let’s start by figuring out what a “theme” means. A theme is an idea, expressed through a work of art. So you need to figure out: what is Hannah Tinti writing about? If you read the Q&A above, you’ll find some answers. You can also go here to get a list of stuff that inspired The Good Thief.

Good luck, and try to answer the question yourself, instead of looking it up on line. Your teacher will notice. And you might even enjoy it.

Best,
Hannah

Sincerely,
Jessica

I can’t tell you how exciting it is to receive an email like yours–to know that a reader was so concerned about my characters that it kept them up at night! So I guess I’m a bit nervous too, writing you back.

First, let me put your mind to rest: Benjamin would never commit suicide. He is NOT going off to drown himself. He is leaving town to protect Ren–and to take the blame for McGinty’s murder. It’s a very unselfish thing for him to do, which is a big step for him. But I imagine Benjamin going off and having a bunch more adventures, and maybe one day coming back, when Ren is a lot older.

The last line: “missing, missing, missing, missing” is really about what’s going on inside of Ren, emotionally. He finally has the thing he always wanted: a home and a family. But to gain these things he had to go through a lot of hardships, and he lost some things along the way (including Benjamin), and a part of himself is always going to be missing and he’s always going to be missing Benjamin and Dolly. I wanted to give Ren a happy ending, but all happy endings I think are also tinged with a little bit of sadness.

I hope that answers your questions. Thanks so much for writing in and telling me what it was like for you to read The Good Thief.

Best wishes,
Hannah

So glad to hear you enjoyed the book! I am hard at work on the next novel, but until then I’d recommend reading some of the books that inspired The Good Thief: Great Expectations and Jane Eyre. There is a complete list here (scroll down to the bottom). Also, you could try my short story collection, Animal Crackers.

Happy Reading!

cheers,
Hannah