The Rose Thieves

The Rose Thieves gives us the Vanderwald family: flamboyant hot-tempered Lila who feels trapped living in a small New England town; her sentimental eternally optimistic husband a failed futures-market investor; and their children. An affectionate daughter steals flowers from gardens all over town for her big sister''s sixteenth birthday. A tea party for the local minister is turned upside down by a four-year-old''s remark. Sheep wander through the kitchen an enraged mother swan menaces the sisters as their own mother entertains a possible lover and after a near-disaster Lila proclaims We faced death; death couldn''t face us! Amidst the chaos Kate the oldest daughter practices piano because Haydn will give order to everything if only you play him right.With wit natural artistry and a keen eye for the absurd Heidi Jon Schmidt effortlessly weaves stories of strange but all-too-real family life.