Why did you decide to set your novel in New England?
I wanted The Good Thief to take place in America in the 1800s, and New England felt like the perfect place. I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts—famous for the witch trials and as the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne—so stepping into the time period was actually quite natural for me. Most of the houses in my neighborhood were built in the 1700s and 1800s, and it was not unusual to have a back staircase, or fireplaces in nearly every room, low ceilings or small latched pantry doors. Whenever my family worked outside in our small garden, we were constantly digging up things from the past—fragments of blue and white china plates, broken clay pipes, or crushed shells that used to line the path to a neighboring carriage house. Once, my grandmother found a Spanish Reale from the 1700s. This unearthing of tangible history, and being conscious every day of the people who have lived in places before you is something common in Europe and other parts of the world, but in America it is more unusual. In any event, it made a lasting impression on me, and has certainly wound its way throughout The Good Thief.
How did you come up with the title The Good Thief?
Originally I had planned to call the book Resurrection Men. Then, for a number of reasons, I had to change it. I was at a loss for a long time, and nothing seemed appropriate. Finally, I gave an early draft of the novel to my mother, who worked for many years as a librarian and has read more books than anyone else I know. She came up with The Good Thief, and as soon as she said it I knew it was the right title. There is a lot of stealing going on throughout the book, with mixed intentions and results. I also liked the biblical reference of the Good Thief (also known as Saint Dismas), who was one of the men crucified with Jesus Christ on Golgotha. His story is one of redemption, at the very last minute, and that suits this novel perfectly.
The Good Thief has been compared to the work of Robert Louis Stevenson and Charles Dickens. Did you set out to write an adventure tale?
It’s humbling to be compared with these master storytellers. Stevenson and Dickens were my heroes growing up, along with James Fenimore Cooper. I’m not sure if I set out purposely to write an adventure story, but once I had the first scene, I knew that was where I was headed, and I was certainly influenced by these great writers along the way. Who could forget the scene in Kidnapped where David Balfour climbs the empty staircase and nearly falls? Or when Magwitch appears on the moor in Great Expectations? Whenever I felt daunted by the task before me, I went back to this important lesson—write something that you would like to read yourself—and tried to put it in motion on the page. Once I started it was hard to stop. I like to fall into books; to read about strange places and about characters who make me care deeply. I also like to be surprised at what’s going to happen next.
What is a wishing stone?
A wishing stone is a rock, usually found near water, with an unbroken white line circling it completely. It is good for making one wish come true. When I was a child I would collect them. Later, I was reintroduced to them at an important time in my life. At the beginning of The Good Thief, Ren comes into possession of one. It is his golden ticket, and this wish reverberates throughout the rest of the book, as do the stones themselves. Several people have asked me what a wishing stone looks like., Here are a few that I’ve held on to. Since The Good Thief was published, I’ve given one away at every reading, to pass on some of the good luck that has come my way.
How much did your religion influence The Good Thief?
I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, so my religion was certainly helpful, especially when it came to describing Ren’s spirituality. My relationship with God was very close when I was young, and grew more complicated as I got older. Children think of right and wrong in very literal terms—and they also respond viscerally to parables and storytelling in religious texts. For me, tales of the martyrs and saints always held great weight, and I tried to draw on them as I wrote Ren’s character. Saint Anthony, in particular, caught my imagination. In 2000, I had visited his basilica in Padua and read a history of his life. Not only was he a famous storyteller, like Benjamin—he was the saint prayed to for lost things, which fit with Ren’s missing hand. He was also involved in resurrection: one of his miracles was raising a boy from the dead. In the last days of his life, Saint Anthony lived in a tree house, wanting to be closer to heaven. It’s a poignant image—this desire to be rid of earthly life. As I wrote The Good Thief, Saint Anthony became my touchstone, and I consider him the patron saint of this book.
What kind of research did you do for The Good Thief?
Because I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts I knew how everything should look and what the feel of North Umbrage should be. But I also read many books on resurrection men, grave-robbing, and the history of medical schools. Two that were particularly helpful were The Italian Boy by Sarah Wise, a non-fiction account of the trial of two resurrection men in London, and The Knife Man by Wendy Moore, a biography of John Hunter, who was a famous surgeon and resurrectionist. I also went to the New York Public Library and read old newspapers from the 1800s that gave me a real feel for the language and every day lives of people. Museums were a great resource, especially the Mütter Museum at The College of Physicians in Philadelphia and The Peabody/Essex Museum in Salem. On the bulletin board over my desk I kept sketches of graveyards, shots of buildings from the 1800s, prayer cards, photographs of Native Americans by Edward S. Curtis, artwork by Lee Bontecou and Edward Gorey, pictures of ancient dentures and designs of early mousetraps, so that every time I looked up, I would stay in the world I had created.
Why did you choose Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote to open The Good Thief?
I remembered Emerson’s words after writing about the mousetrap factory. I wanted to find the complete wording and add it to my folder of notes for the book, so I looked it up. When I re-read the entire quote I realized that it was more complex than I had thought: “If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.” Emerson covered not only mousetraps, but religion as well as storytelling, the very thing I was struggling to accomplish. I put the quote on my wall, as a challenge to myself—to write a better book.
What is your writing process like?
I try to follow my intuition—sitting quietly and letting things come. It’s a bit like using a divining rod. Often I don’t realize what I’m doing until after the words are on the page. Later, I go back and try and make sense of it. The editing process is where most of the work is done, but I discovered long ago that I need to be open and trust my subconscious. When I was a little girl, I went net-casting on a fishing boat. The men threw a net overboard, then dragged it a hundred yards, then pulled up what they caught into a big tank onboard. Then they tossed things over that they don’t want, and kept the fish they did. I remember that the water seemed so clear and empty, but when the fishermen pulled the net on board, it was full of the weirdest things I’d ever seen. Bizarre creatures from the bottom of the sea. Novels seem to be like this—casting a net through a writers’ mind and pulling the unexpected into the light.
Do you have a question about The Good Thief that wasn’t answered here? Write it below–and Hannah will answer.
Dear Mark,
So glad you enjoyed The Good Thief enough to lose a night’s sleep! I’ve written about 100 pages of a sequel, though I am also working another novel at the moment and developing a comic book as well, so not sure when it will see the light of day. It will eventually, I’m sure, and then more on all of the characters will certainly be revealed. Will Benjamin return someday and see Ren again? I think so. As for whether or not Dolly & McGinty are sociopaths, they probably are in different ways, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have redeeming qualities too. I believe that even the worst people have some hidden parts of them that are good.
cheers,
Hannah
Hey Hannah!
1st, you haven’t mentioned anything on the sequal in 3 monthes, so, like everyone else, (for good reason) I thought I’ld ask you about it. Also, even if you don’t write a sequal, well, as apt as a sequal sounds, I am dying to hear the backstories of pretty much all the main characters, but especially Ren’s parents. If you decide not to write a sequal, could you write a collection of everyone’s backrounds? I found the lack of a backstory frustrating when trying to think of character analyses. Especiall For instince, I was wondering whether or not Dolly wass a sociopath, (he killed with no remorse, yet he befriends and loves Ren.) Or Silas McGrunty, was HE a sociopath? He seemed to love his sister but cut off Ren’s hand… Does Benjamin actually ever return? I THOUGHT it was stated by Tom he won’t. (I believe it said “He shook his head.” I couldn’t tell if that was affirmitive or not…) I seriously would want you to explore that. Certainly, i would love to know how much of the final speech on Benji by Ren is legit and how much is silver-tonguing it. Sorry for spamming you with questions, I’ve read a lot of books, but its been quite a while since a book has so intrigued me! I really enjoyed it, very gripping, I didn’t sleep last night, I never put it down. (Literally)
Dear Ben,
I’m a history buff too, but for The Good Thief I was deliberately vague about the exact year, not wanting the history of the country to affect the characters or the plot too much. In my mind I was thinking 1830-1840s. Some links to some of the research I did for the book can be found here. Hope that helps, and that you enjoy the rest of the book.
cheers,
Hannah
Dear Peggy,
Thanks for writing in. I’m not sure if there were any mousetrap factories in New England in the 1800s–but I did do research at the patent office and found some interesting mousetrap designs that I used in the book. (The “Little Nipper”, which we use today, was not patented until 1897). You can find out more here. But I also wrote a whole post about the inspiration behind the mousetrap factory in The Good Thief. You can find that here!
Best,
Hannah
I very much enjoyed your book and have recommended it to my book club.
Question: Where can I go to find information about mousetrap factories in colonial New England and also designs of those mousetraps?
Hi Hannah,
I really am enjoying your book, and I am a history buff, so this suits my love for history perfectly. I just had one small question though: about which decade in the 1800s is the story set? I know that it must predate the Civil War, and post date the Revolutionary War.
Thank you,
Ben Schaffer
Dear Justin,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the book, and that your students are too. I will do my best to resurrect Dolly again, though that might prove difficult.
I kept changing the ages of the characters, so it’s no wonder you had mixed readings. Ultimately I am thinking the mousetrap girls are anywhere from 12-18.
Hope that clears things up, and thanks again.
Cheers,
Hannah
Hi Alessandra,
Thanks for writing in. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. I have been toying around with a sequel to The Good Thief, but whether it will see the light of day or not is still undecided. The movie rights to The Good Thief have been optioned by the writer Richard Russo, who has written the screenplay. They are now taking it around to directors, so keep your fingers crossed.
Best wishes,
Hannah
Hi Charles,
Thanks for writing in. I’ve been a Catholic my whole life, and we always end the Our Father at ‘Deliver Us From Evil.’ Whenever I’ve been to a Protestant Service, I’ve always been intrigued by the final phrase, “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.” It’s interesting to be saying the same prayer and then have part of the audience stop and the rest continue, which is why I wrote it into the book.
As for the prepositions, I am probably guilty. And the explosion, which people keep asking about, so I will clarify here: was caused by the Harelip shooting McGinty from the factory floor.
I hope your enjoyment outweighed your difficulties with the book!
cheers,
Hannah
I have just finished reading The Good Thief…i just learned about it a couple months ago. I cant believe i never found out about it. I LOVED IT! Is it true that there will be a sequel type book? I hope there is, i will definitely buy it! Have there been any thought of making it into a movie also? Thank you for wrighting this wonderful book, i will make sure to spread the book to my friends. Please keep writing!
I saw above that someone else has the same question as me. Who or what caused the explosion in the factory that is pivotal to the outcome of the book? Also, you should know that Catholics DO finish the Lord’s Prayer “for the kingdom and the power and the glory, etc” same as Lutherans. Also, is it now proper for sentences to end in a preposition? Otherwise I enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down but, what about that explosion in the factory?
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Hannah,
I picked up The Good Thief last Friday and finished it on Saturday, and thoroughly enjoyed the read. I teach English Lit at a high school in AZ, and suggested the book to any of my students who enjoyed the adventure and characters of Huck Finn, and three were reading it today for their “free choice” reading, and two had already read it. Can’t wait for the second book. Wish Dolly could come back, again:)
On a separate note, I had mixed readings on the age of the mousetrap girls, especially the harelip. Can you help clarify it for me, please?
Dear Annie,
I’m working on a new book now, and will definitely post here when it is scheduled to be released. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed The Good Thief, and I hope your friend does too.
cheers,
Hannah
I just finished The Good Thief today. It was so good! I was sad to finish it. I wanted to reread it, but I also wanted to share it with my friends, so one is borrowing it, and I hope she loves it as much as me! I’m curious about the sequel as well, or your next book, whichever it is. Will you be posting the release dates on here?
Hello, Gabriella,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. Many people have asked me if I would write a sequel to The Good Thief. I’m working on a new book now that may include some of the same characters, but I’m not sure yet if it will be a complete sequel. I’ll know more in a few months, and will be sure to post on the site what I’m doing!
Thanks, Pauline–I’ll write you back direct with the answer.
Hello!!!
My school used The Good Theif for an assignment for the freshmen English classes. At first I was a bit tentative about reading this book, but the second I got started, I was immediately snagged by your captivating words and enticing story. Thank you soooo much for writing this book! It was pretty amazing, and I wish I could read more of it!
Speaking of which, have you ever given thought to a sequel?
I just finished the book today and also was perplexed as to how the explosion occurred in the factory. please reply to my email address directly if possible. I thought the book was awesome, captivating and very funny in some places. Can’t wait for the sequel.
PQS: thanks for your note. I’ll write you back directly, so I don’t spoil the end for the other readers passing through here…
I just finished The Good Thief!
I couldn’t put the book down and found it to be a truely wonderful read. Not sure if I read it to fast but I couldn’t seem to figure out who/what caused the explosion in the factory towards the end of the book. “A huge boom sounded and the glass shattered…”
Could you please clarify…its driving me nuts.
Dear Heidi,
I’m working on a new novel that includes some of these characters, so you will find out what happened. Wish me luck!
cheers,
Hannah
I loved the book. Will you write any sequels? If not, will you tell us what happened to everybody?
Hi Melissa,
I found the stones in the picture here when I was visiting the Bay of Islands. I picked up most of them in Paihia while I walked the beach. It’s a very beautiful spot. I loved NZ, and can’t wait to get back there.
Glad you enjoyed the book!
cheers,
Hannah
Hi,
I just finished The Good Thief (it was great!) and noticed in the Q&A section that a beach in New Zealand has wishing stones. Can you tell me what beach, I’m from NZ.
Dear Krishnendu:
We’re not sure when the book will be available in India, but you should be able to order a copy from any online bookstore and have it shipped to you. Perhaps Amazon UK? We hope you enjoy the story.
-Hannah’s online team
hi hannah, i want to buy this book of urs (The Good Thief) …………. when can i get it here in India???…………………. Massachusetts is my favourite state of the US ……..hope i can enjoy your new book sooner (rather than later)