A dark and intricate fantasy for readers of The Book of Dust and Leigh Bardugo. CITY OF THE UNCOMMON THIEF is the story of a quarantined city gripped by fear and of the war that can free it.
CITY OF THE UNCOMMON THIEF
by Lynne Bertrand
Dutton/Penguin Young Readers, February 2021 (voir catalogue)
« Guilders work. Foundlings scrub the bogs. Needles bind. Swords tear. And men leave. There is nothing uncommon in this city. I hope Errol Thebes is dead. We both know he is safer that way. » In a walled city of a mile-high iron guild towers, many things are common knowledge: No book in any of the city’s libraries reveals its place on a calendar or a map. No living beasts can be found within the city’s walls. And no good comes to the guilder or foundling who trespasses too far from their labors. Even on the tower rooftops, where Errol Thebes and the rest of the city’s teenagers pass a few short years under an open sky, no one truly believes anything uncommon is possible within the city walls. But one guildmaster has broken tradition to protect her child, and as a result the whole city faces an uncommon threat: a pair of black iron spikes that have the power of both sword and needle on the rib cages of men have gone missing, but the mayhem they cause rises everywhere. If the spikes not found and contained, no wall will be high enough to protect the city–or the world beyond it. And Errol Thebes? He’s not dead and he’s certainly not safe.
★ « A macabre marvel of a tale. » —Kirkus Reviews, starred
Lynne Bertrand is the author of two books for very young readers. This is her first book for young adult readers. She works in A&R for a music label and lives with her family in Northampton, MA.
Seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer before her senior year. She’s just broken up with her first boyfriend and her friends are all off in different, exciting directions for the next three months. Abby needs a plan—an adventure of her own. Enter: the letters. They show up one rainy day along with the rest of Abby’s recently deceased grandmother’s possessions. And these aren’t any old letters; they’re love letters. Love letters from a mystery man named Edward. Love letters from a mansion on Nantucket. Abby doesn’t know much about her grandmother’s past. She knows she was born in Germany and moved to the US when she was five, fleeing the Holocaust. But the details are either hazy or nonexistent; and these letters depict a life that is a bit different than the quiet one Abby knows about. And so, Abby heads to Nantucket for the summer to learn more about her grandmother and the secrets she kept. But when she meets Edward’s handsome grandson, who wants to stop her from investigating, things get complicated. As Abby and Noah grow closer, the mysteries in their families deepen, and they discover that they both have to accept the burdens of their pasts if they want the kinds of futures they’ve always imagined.
This inspirational guide introduces you to the locals behind thirty-five of Paris’s unique shops, studios, and more. Through beautifully illustrated spreads, immerse yourself in the daily practices of diverse creatives including fashion designer Isabel Marant; baker Apollonia Poilâne, whose sourdough loaves are the toast of the city; fourth-generation art supplier Sophie Sennelier; Palais-Royal shoe designer Pierre Hardy; jet-setting street artist and hotelier André Saraiva; bookseller Sylvia Whitman who continues her father’s literary heritage with flair; French cocktail expert Franck Audoux; the duo behind ecological sneaker brand Véja; the inventor of the bistronomy movement Yves Camdeborde; plus a host of chocolatiers, florists, cheesemakers, patissiers, stationers, and more. Each maker links to the next with a personal introduction that adds insight to how these interconnected communities thrive and grow together. You’ll get to know each maker—their tools, practices, passions, histories, inspirations, and work environments. MAKERS: PARIS takes you inside their businesses to show you how they invent, craft, and sell their wares, and demonstrates in the process how each maker’s own passions and talents splendidly intersect with their city’s hunger for quality, style, and substance. Whether you’re planning a trip to Paris, looking for inspiration, or just wondering what’s hot in the City of Lights, this thrilling tour will leave you inspired, satisfied…and hungry for more.