Theft: Stories

By N.S. Köenings

Book Overview

The path from Europe to Africa has been much traveled in literature but rarely in such an evocative, nuanced, and even playful way as in N.S. Kenings's Theft.

Here are five seductive tales that move with grace and subtlety between the two continents and reveal with insight and wit that what seem to be very separate worlds are not so far apart after all. In Pearls to Swine, a lonely childless socialite invites her American goddaughter to spend the summer in her mansion. In Wondrous Strange, a spirit medium is haunted by the ghost of an ancient African djinn. In Setting Up Shop, a young Zanzibari woman dreams of traveling to the U.S., even as a local entrepeneur courts her relentlessly, even promising to leave his other wives for her.

More praise for The Blue Taxi:

"The world Kenings has created in her accomplished debut is tragic and exhilarating, as is her portrayal of weary, left-behind colonialists, poverty-stricken natives and the uneasy manner in which each regards the other." -- Publishers Weekly

"Kenings skillfully weaves together the stories of individuals from disparate cultures converging in a city that is entering a new era of political independence." -- The New Yorker

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316001864
• ISBN13: 9780316001861
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Back Bay Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

(RAW Rating 4.5)

THEFT houses an eclectic group of short stories with far ranging subjects that connect on familiar themes. 'Pearls to Swine' gives us a slightly aristocratic woman who thinks herself magnanimous. She invites two troubled teens into her home to help them find themselves. The girls are opposite in background and spirit, but somehow they connect. Celeste could not have imagined her invitation would bring such consequences, she is completely unsettled by what she discovers. 'Wondrous Strange' introduces readers to an odd, talented group of 'mediums' who meet on Thursday nights and share their gifts through physical channeling and séances. The leader has the power to converse with ghosts, but is threatened when another member is possessed by an African spirit. She accuses the other member of faking. After much debate, the group learns the power of friendship. From this I realized how wonderful and how strange the human nature is. 'Theft,' the title story, tracks similar mishaps that overtake a naïve female tourist, in Africa, and a bus ticket boy. As she is displaying her independence, she is caught in a bus robbery; the passenger's luggage is stolen. Disappointment befalls both of them, as the ticket boy attempts to assist the traveler. Both realize more than material belongings were stolen; somehow their innocent view of mankind was stolen as well. 'Sisters for Shama' takes readers into the mind of a male invalid accused of impropriety with a young boy. He was banished to the basement of the house and spends his days confined to bed. Meal time is the only time he has companionship. He becomes friends with the young lady attending to him, in his eyes anyway. He can finally share his stories about jealousy, abandonment and his own dysfunctional relationships. 'Setting Up Shop' is a tale of "be careful what you ask for". Masound has three wives and wants Zulfa for a fourth, for the first time he is in love. Zulfa does not want to get married; she wants to travel abroad and see the world, especially America. Hoping to thwart his advances, she gives him an ultimatum about his wives, but the plan backfires; he agrees to her terms. THEFT combines five surprisingly funny and memorable stories, each unusual in its own right. Köenings's writing, often described as dense but focused, displays rich insight, wit, and a complexity that enhance her imaginative storytelling. The tales move with grace and subtlety between the two continents and reveal that the separate worlds are not so far apart after all. One plus for me is that Köenings leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions; the stories do not have a definitive ending. Her writing is evocative; I had the feeling of visiting those exotic locations. Reviewed by aNN of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Look inside the lives of others

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/08) "Theft" consists of five uniquely different short stories. Each one takes place in different places and cultures. The main characters tend to be colorful and unique. Even though the cultures are different, there is a common thread of humanness that runs through all of the characters. Each person has their own flaws and frailties. The author, N.S. Koenings does an incredible job of writing realistic scenes with colorful metaphors. As you read these tales you will definitely feel like you are a fly on the wall watching them play out. I enjoyed reading of the places that I have never been. Through the characters eyes, I felt like I was there. Even though they cover time periods from 1980 to 1996, each story is timeless. I feel this way because the core of each character is so real; it is that part of us that does not change with time or in fashion. Even though these are short stories, Koenings writes them in a way that makes you feel like you aren't missing any parts of the story. She manages to fill in information about the past and information about what is currently happening so nothing seems left out. I highly recommend "Theft." I think that this would be a great choice for reader's groups. Each story would inspire interesting and thought-provoking conversations. I can't even recommend one story over another; I think that readers will enjoy all of them.

a wonderful collection that takes you to Africa and Europe

I have just finished reading this great book, which I just happened to pick up in a friend's house. The five stories in this collection are each unusual and really drew me into their worlds. Koenings effortlessly takes you the East African coast, to Egypt and to Belgium and England. My favorite story was about a genie who lived in the Indian Ocean who "possessed" a English man, much to everyone's surprise. The other stories feature a romance between two young lesbians in Belgium, an East African girl who resists becoming the fourth wife of an older man, and a trasvestite story-teller in an Indian Ocean town who falls in love with his upstairs neighbor. The writing is absolutely beautiful, evocatively written, so that I really experienced the smells and sounds and feeling of being in each of these exotic locations. I haven't yet read the author's novel, "The Blue Taxi" but my friend tells me that it is also really good.

Short story collection in a variety of styles

Reviewed by LuAnn Morgan for RebeccasReads (4/08) N.S. Koenings offers a variety of styles in this collection of short stories, with each one having a slightly different theme. The first story, "Pearls to Swine," is about a woman who looks back on what she considers to be a huge mistake she made. Celeste is proud of her home and wishes to invite people to visit. Her husband Gustave, however, prefers a more solitary lifestyle. She decides to invite two teen-age girls to stay at their home for the summer. One of the girls is from a "privileged" background -- in fact, she is Celeste's goddaughter -- and the other is from a home for troubled girls. Of course, the girls become fast friends and exclude Celeste from their relationship, causing her to feel lonelier than before they came to stay. She begins spying on them and finds out more than she wants to know. The author demonstrates the prudishness often found even today among those who feel they are better off than others, not only monetarily but morally, as well. In "Wondrous Strange," Koenings introduces us to a group of would-be psychics. They meet every Thursday night and dabble in séances and channeling. When one of the newest members is possessed by an African spirit, it sends the group's leader into a tizzy and she accuses her of faking it. The other members believe her, though, and they set out to do what the spirit tells them to. Demonstrating how powerful friendship can be, Koenings paints a wonderful picture of loyalty and love with this story. Watching these ladies band together to help one another reinforces the ideas of devotion and caring. "Theft," the title story of the book, is about a young woman who demonstrates her independence by setting off on a trip alone. She has been enjoying herself more than she ever imagined when the bus she is riding on is robbed during the night. While the passengers slept, all their luggage was stolen. The ticket boy (or tout) helps her find a place to stay and his story runs parallel to hers throughout the tale. This story shows the reader that there a theft does not always involve material goods. Our innocence can be stolen, as well. The fourth tale is titled "Sisters for Shama.." The reader meets a man who was banished to the basement of the house where he lives. An invalid accused of improper motives toward the boy of the house, he must spend his days confined to bed. His only entertainment and companionship is when Shama comes down to bring his meals and talk. They become friends, in his eyes, and he looks forward more and more to her visits. He begins to tell her stories, leaving off in places that will entice her to return soon to hear what will happen next. It's a story of jealousy, abandonment and dysfunctional relationships. Finally, love is tested in "Setting Up Shop" when Zulfa gives Masoud an ultimatum. He already has three wives and wants her for a fourth. The difference this time is that he is 100 percent in love with her.