In Hitler’s Germany, two men who have never met have vastly different experiences. One, who has lived a life of poverty, deprivation and petty crime, finds his fortunes much improved when he finds work in the army. Finally there is food enough, clothes and shelter. The other man, a Jew, has been reduced from a prosperous businessman and respected community member to an outcast struggling for survival.
When the paths of these two strangers crosses, something happens which will impact on the descendants of both men.
After the war the children of both lead different lives in different countries, but when their paths and those of their children cross once again in Australia, the truth begins to emerge. Is it possible to undo the past, to forgive a theft of unimaginable depths?
The Prosperous Thief is a story of the Jewish Holocaust and of it’s legacy, as the decendants of those involved live in its shadow. It is also a story about the concepts of justice and revenge. A quality read.
Andrea Goldsmith worked as a speech pathologist both in Australia and overseas. Her previous books include Gracious Living, Facing the Music and Under the Knife.
The Prosperous Thief, by Andrea Goldsmith
Allen & Unwin, 2002