Fagin the Thief-

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION

by Allison Epstein

A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London’s most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London — reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.

Long before Oliver Twist, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob's whole world is his open-minded mother, Leah. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.

Author: Allison Epstein holds an MFA in fiction from Northwestern University and is the author of three historical novels. Her most recent novel, Fagin the Thief, received the 2026 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction and the American Library Association’s Sophy Brody medal, and was a finalist for the 2026 Edgar Award for Best Novel.