FAGIN THE THIEF

Allison Epstein's novel has all the darkness and gravitas of a Dickens work, and narrator Will Watt provides a voice that is appropriately grim. He delivers Epstein's clever imagining of the life of Fagin, from Dickens's OLIVER TWIST, ranging from his early life, including his first name (Jacob), to his ultimate end. Fagin grows up in London's Jewish quarter, poor, despised by all but his loving mother, and determined to prove himself something more. He survives by his wit and sleight of hand, eventually building a network of orphans whom he trains as thieves, starting with the sinister, young Bill Sikes. Watt delivers portraits of familiar characters, including the Artful Dodger, Oliver Twist, and Nancy, taking listeners into London's seedy underbelly with all its prejudices and its dangers. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2025]