Allison Epstein has done a wonderful job fleshing out the character of “Oliver Twist(‘s)” Jacob Fagin. If you enjoy books like Sarah Miller’s “Marmee” or modern retellings or additions to the Jane Austen stories, “Fagin the Thief” may fill several happy hours of reading.

Epstein begins her imagining of Fagin when he is six years old. She skips around throughout the book but each chapter head includes the date, so it is easy to follow the plot.

Along with Fagin, the author also expands on the lives of Dodger, Nancy, Oliver Twist, and Bill Sikes, as well as Sike’s dog, Bullseye. The story moves quickly. It is so well-written that I really did feel as if I was reading a part of Dickens I’d never found before.

“Fagin the Thief” was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to BookBrowse for allowing me to read a pre-release copy. This is my honest review.

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein is a remarkable reimagining of Fagin from Dicken’s Oliver Twist sure to delight fans of Dicken’s works. Set against the backdrop of 19th -century London, Fagin was raised by his mother Leah until her death when he was 16. During that period he was taken under the wing of a pickpocket who taught him the skills of the trade. He became a skilled artisan evading police and collecting goods while living in an abandoned building. Here he takes in several orphans who have no where else to go and teaches them what he has learned along the way. One of his orphans, Billy Sikes, was to become one of London’s most daring housebreakers but ultimately lead to chaos within the “family.”
A wonderful character study, Fagin emerges as a man shaped by the brutal realities of poverty, Jewish prejudice, and circumstance. As he gets tangled deeper in the world of crime, his internal struggle becomes evident with his desire for survival and the choices he is faced with. Though he is manipulative I couldn’t help but find him a sympathetic character at times, though his actions continued to be morally questionable.

Epstein paints a wonderful picture of the harsh economic and social conditions of Victorian England, broadcasting the difficulties of survival for the gang of child thieves under Fagin’s wing. Oliver Twist makes a cursory introduction as well as the Artful Dodger from Dicken’s book. Nancy, the prostitute, who fell in love with Billy Sikes, plays a prominent and compelling role as well. The author’s focus on the psychology and motivations of the characters makes this reinterpretation feel grounded and believable. While there is no straightforward redemption arc or a clear -cut portrayal of good vs evil, this terrific book offers a powerful insight on how individuals navigate systems of power and survival while highlighting the complexity of human nature. This book is a winner!

Well written
An interesting re-telling of Oliver Twist. The author writes well and offers interesting insight into the characters. The historical background and depiction of the "justice" system was intriguing.

Stephen King when writing asks,, What if… In Fagin the Thief, Allison Epstein asks that question about the most loathed characters of Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. In Epstien’s deft and creative hands, we are reintroduced to the original Fagin and Bill, but are also thrust into a deeper study of who they may have been before they were brought to life through Dickens’ pen. Epstein’s work is meticulous in its research, the handling of Fagin’s treatment as a Jew, and her splendid use of language. The reader from the start is drawn into the threatening and dark streets of 19th century London, but this time will find themselves cheering along not the little boy, Oliver, but rather those who we have seen as monsters for nearly two hundred years. Only a skilled storyteller can pull that off! A five star read, especially for Dickens’ fans. Thank you to Doublday, NetGalley, and BookBrowse.com for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review. (Coming out February 2025) For the Game: MC is in legal trouble.

I saw a review on another platform encouraging readers to take this book on its own terms and not as a companion to Oliver Twist, and as someone who is only vaguely familiar with Oliver Twist from decades ago in school, I can say I definitely enjoyed this novel! I did appreciate the author's note about what they changed and why, and I expect I'll come to appreciate their changes even more once I revisit the original. I will also say that I greatly appreciated Epstein's decision not to sanitize Fagin, but rather, present the WHY of him. Long story short: A morally gray main character you can't help but care about (if not root for), lovable (and hate-able) side characters, a rich historical atmosphere, and gorgeous writing to boot - really, what more can you ask for in a book?

For anyone who grew up loving Dickens stories, especially for anyone who read/watched/loved/performed in Oliver, here is the backstory to one of the most beloved characters from Dicken’s imagination.
How did Fagin get to the place where we meet him in Oliver Twist?
Part origin story, part retelling, all homage. You can tell the author loves this story and loves this character.
There’s a chunk in this book between Fagins upbringing and meeting Nancy where the book almost lost me, I think because even though I already have images of Fagin from the movie, I struggled with the era matching the writing style. It felt more like a modern story and didn’t capture that Dickensian feel with the dialogue.
You also do have to “let it go” a bit how the story, once stating to align with Dickens, is changed. Bill and Nancy and Bet and Oliver and Dodger are all there, but how the story lands at the end will have purists thinking “but, but…” The author explains this in the author notes and who’s to blame and author for writing their own story, but it’s the hazard of any homage book, song, movie, etc, isn’t it?
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a fair review. The opinions are my own.
I give it 4 stars. I really did enjoy it in the second half. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.