The Patron Thief of Bread

By: Lindsay Eager

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

A beautifully crafted middle-grade novel spiced with magic—and gargoyles!—from the acclaimed author of Hour of the Bees and Race to the Bottom of the Sea.

Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run—until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to set down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat: one of their very own will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde than Duck’s allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.

©2022 Lindsay Eager (P)2022 Listening Library

beautiful story

This was such a good read. It was beautifully complex and well done. Highly recommend!

A Glorious Story of Redemption

The Patron Thief of Bread is a suspenseful and utterly beautiful tale of redemption and of newfound families. FOr all her life, Duck has lived with the Crowns, a gang of urchins who found her floating in a river. When Gnat, the Crown's leader, gives Duck the assignment of stealing bread and money from a village's bakery, Duck becomes the kindly baker's apprentice. Griselde's kind manner, her fun-loving spirit and her loneliness touch Duck's heart, and the girl finds herself questioning loyalties she holds dear. Can she hurt the woman she's grown to love?
Woven throughout Duck's story is the story of an embittered gargoyle on the roof of an unfinished cathedral. Made to protect others, the gargoyle feels untethered and is wracked with guilt over a past inability to help someone in danger. The story of Duck and the story of the gargoyle eventually come together in a suspenseful climax.

Lindsay Eagar has written a spellbinding story filled with lush descriptions, mouthwatering depictions of bread-baking, humor and poignancy. I loved every aspect of this book, particularly the way in which Duck changes and grows throughout the story. Griselde was a wonderful character, so kind yet so vulnerable at times. Sister Ernestine, the abbess at the Sisters of Mercy, was a marvelous character as well as was the harsh but well-meaning journeyman named Petras. All the characters were complex and believable. This is a story rich in historical detail and vivid imagery.

Moira Quirk narrated The Patron Thief of Bread with energy. I adored her depiction of Duck and her portrayal of Griselde.

Please give this riveting novel a chance. Thoroughly recommended! God bless you all.