A turn of the Century historical novel, Stealing Jake,
weaves a wonderful story told from both the protagonists’ points of view. Immediately
we realize the conundrum facing the heroine as she must choose to rescue a
street urchin from the gentleman he has just pickpocketed; and she must do this
using her once erstwhile skills. Even more troubling, the gentleman is a
Sheriff’s Deputy.
Livvy O’Brien has come to Chestnut, Illinois hoping to start
clean and fresh. In her former life, she had been a street orphan stealing to
survive. Rescued by the compassionate Mrs. Brooks for whom she now works
maintaining an orphanage, and having become a new Christian, she struggles to
trust anyone especially the law—and with good reason.
Jake Russell eventually discovers that Livvy helped the
children by returning his pickpocketed item without him being able to prove it
had disappeared in the first place. He also harbors disdain for the very
children she sympathizes with and strives to protect. They both have trust
issues. Livvy also fears childbirth because, as a child, she watched her sister
and new born infant die under her care.
Both Jake and Livvy have lost significant people in their
lives due to tragedy. Jake, not only lost Father and brothers in a mining
accident; but he was trapped with their dead bodies for days and now suffers
from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—unable and unwilling to find himself
trapped in a dark hole again. He needs his deputy job to support the rest of
his family and has a loan hanging over his head that could cost the family
farm.
There are many wonderful facets to Stealing Jake including
children caring for children, those children being used and abused, good lawmen
versus bad lawmen. Neither Livvy nor Jake is totally wrong in how they see the
issues confronting them. Areas are grayer than black and white. Each needs to
listen to the other’s heart and begin to understand their fears in order to
help each other.
Characters, like old Gus and Luke, along with a multitude of
plot twists make for a fascinating read.
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