A Thief in the House of Memory by Tim Wynne-Jones

Reviewed by Lori
Thief In The House Of Memory
Title: A Thief in the House of Memory

Author: Tim Wynne-Jones

Perma-Bound Canada Catalogue #: 297240

Description:  The death of an apparent stranger in the Steeple family's old home triggers troubling questions for sixteen-year-old Declan as he tries to make sense of his fragmented dreams, random memories, and unexplained coincidences, hoping to learn the truth about the mother who suddenly left when he was ten.

***Canadian Author***

 Rubric Rating: Level 2: Like It

Why I Read it: I loved this book's title and the air of mystery of the cover.  The gate surrounding a misty mansion evoked such a foreboding atmosphere as well as the idea of something being locked away.  Plus it's a Canadian Author.

Lori's Notes:   The book started well, a death in an old mansion on a hill captures your interest right away.  Being based in Eastern Ontario I also found the setting recognizable.  I expected it to be a suspenseful novel but it was rather a book about hidden things.  Hidden items, hidden memories, and secrets.  The characters are interconnected which I do like. Of all the Wynne-Jones novels I've read, I liked this one the best.

Recommended Reader: Grade 9 and Up

Themes: Secrets, Memories, Crime, Family, Parent and Child Relationships, Abandonment, Mothers, Family Problems, Coming-of-age.

Cross-Genre Links:
Music: When Somebody Loved Me by Sarah McLachlin
Movie: Kramer vs. Kramer
Web Search: When Mothers Leave

Possible Discussion or Essay Topics: 

  • Discuss the difference between imagination and memory and how the two can be confused. Particularly when thinking about events in the past.
  • What happened to Declan's Mother?
  • Why does her disappearance affect Declan more than his sister?
  • Why does the attempted theft in the big house bring memories back to Declan?
  • How do we tend to idealize and "sanitize" our memories.  

 Other Titles by Tim Wynne-Jones:

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