
Fagin the Thief
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Will Watt
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By:
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Allison Epstein
A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London’s most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.
"Fagin the Thief takes one of literature's greatest rogues and gives him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight. Layered and clever, Epstein's story is as ambitious as it is deeply satisfying."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You
Long before Oliver Twist stumbled onto the scene, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob's whole world is his open-minded mother, Leah. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.
Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London's highest value neighborhoods while forging his own path in the shadows. But everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. Along the way, Jacob’s found family expands to include his closest friend, Nancy, and his greatest protégé, the Artful Dodger. But as Bill’s ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what he really stands for—and what a life is worth.
Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London—reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.
©2025 Allison Epstein (P)2025 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Fagin the Thief takes one of literature's greatest rogues and gives him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight. Layered and clever, Epstein's story is as ambitious as it is deeply satisfying."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You
"Magnificent . . . Epstein’s Fagin, rarely admirable but surprisingly sympathetic, is an unforgettable creation, and her vibrant secondary characters and depictions of Victorian London add to the novel’s power. Dickens’s fans and critics alike will love this."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Epstein captures the bravado and vulnerabilities of Jacob’s motley crew of orphans, and the gritty ambience of the alleys, cellars, and seedy pubs they inhabit. She brings to her portrait of Fagin—and even Sikes—a tenderness and empathy that renders them as palpable: men, haunted by loss, longing to be loved. . . a riveting narrative."—Kirkus, starred review
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Outstanding
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not Oliver!
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It's a story you know, sort of, if you know Oliver Twist, but it's also a story of who Fagin was before Oliver arrived on the scene, and who he becomes after Oliver departs. It takes the villainous barbarism of Bill Sikes and gives him, against all odds, a beating human heart. Nobody in this story is pure sinner or pure saint, and Allison Epstein renders all of them into fully three-dimensional people, just trying to make their various ways in the world.
That life is perhaps Fagin's defining characteristic in his vow to stay alive at any cost. We expect our literary heroes to be selfless, self-sacrificing, but here is a man who is neither. Fagin is honest when it matters, ready to face death when he absolutely must, but not one moment before that. It's a trait any reader might recognize as their own feelings on the subject, and Fagin is no less heroic for it. He does what we all must, born into lives we didn't ask for: Fagin survives.
While Fagin the Thief would be engrossing in any format, Will Watt’s audio performance here is superb. He gives every character a distinct voice and brings the whole cast to life.
Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls
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The backstory to Fagin
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Superb story telling and performance
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Absolutely Loved it.
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Our local theatre produced Oliver not too long ago, with a brilliant portrayal of Fagin—made him come alive. And that’s what this book, and performance, does for a full picture of Fagin. What an imagination. What wording! And what a reading. The narrator and production are pitch perfect. I better see this book and audio nominated for awards. Not to miss.
A masterpiece — written and vocalized
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Brilliant story
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Nothing to see here
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