The Good Thief: A Novel

What significance does The Lives of the Saints have to Ren both before and after he leaves Saint Anthony's? How does his attitude towards religion change as the novel progresses?

What effect does Dolly have on Ren? Why does Dolly seem to have such an impact on Ren?

How does Ren imagine an ideal mother and how does this compare with the reality of his mother? How does Mrs. Sands fit into Ren's ideal?

Throughout the novel, Tinti presents people with various physical conditions, including amputation, a harelip, dwarfism, and gigantism. How do these characters relate to the novel's larger themes of loss and recovery?

Consider the novel's title. How does the novel define a “good thief”? How might this definition relate to the Biblical story of the Good Thief?

Tom often tells Ren that a boy "needs his fellows" (208). Why does Tom seem so obsessed with this kind of relationship? How might this relate to his life path and current state of being?

How are women portrayed in the novel? How do Jenny, Mrs. Sands, Sister Agnes, and Margaret affect Ren?

The novel begins with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. How does this quote relate to both the novel's plot and its theme of theft and loss?