The Rose Thieves: Stories

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 sisters sixteenth birthday. A tea party for the local minister is turned upside down by a four-year-olds 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 couldnt 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.