Book Review: *Give + Take* by Stona Fitch

Give + Take by Stona Fitch

Back-of-the-book blurb:  Ross Clifton is a brilliant jazz pianist – and an even more talented thief.  He steals millions of dollars in diamonds and BMWs and gives all the money away.  But his life as a latter-day Robin Hood is about to come to an abrupt end.

She is Too Fond of Books’ review:  Ross Clifton is a loner, making no attachments as he travels the music circuit, playing piano night after night in hotel bars.  Most nights he goes home with a woman from the audience; selecting his victim based on how much she has consumed at the bar, her boldness in flirting with him, and, of course, the size of the sparkle on her fingers.

Yes, I steal.  I make no apologies for it.  Stealing is unimportant.  But what you do with the money makes all the difference in the world.

Give + Take is told in the first person, present tense, by Ross Clifton.  Chapters are named for the various cities he travels to on the circuit; but his routine, like the nondescript venues he plays, has remained the same for years.  In order to make an interesting story, this pattern must be broken, and Fitch obliges with conflict that upsets the pianist’s routine.

For the most part, we’re with Clifton as the novel unfolds, but occasionally he dips into his past, giving backstory that helps explain his relationships with his mentor, his parents, and his brother. 

This backstory also supports Clifton’s choice to “take from the rich and give to the poor.”  It’s entertaining to watch both steps in his process, the stealth removal of diamonds and high-end automobiles, and the anonymous disbursement of the proceeds:

I walk until I come to a neighborhood where the streets are darker, the brick apartment buildings less quaint.  I could go door to door with the cash, pushing a hundred into every mail slot.  But that’s too risky.  Instead, I walk along the street, peeling off a bill every few yards and letting it drop by my side.  Some bills skid along the road on a gentle breeze.  Others lose themselves under battered cars.  The bills mean no more to me than the early leaves in the gutters.

Give + Take is a fast-paced romp through a charming criminal’s world.  Just shy of 200 pages, it reads like a novella, and was the perfect companion for a cold winter afternoon.  I’m glad I had the time to spend with it, as I was eager to learn what motivated the main character, and how he might change when a potential conflict is introduced early on.  One scene gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “reading for pleasure!”

There are, of course, lessons about consumerism, the “haves” and the “have nots,” a close look at relationships with things versus relationships with people, and the value we place on them each.  I didn’t over-analyze it as I read, but chose to simply enjoy the taut writing and wicked character development.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Stona Fitch, and I have another, Printer’s Devil, on my to-be-read shelf.  Fitch is founder of the Concord Free Press, an independent publisher which gives away all the books they print!  I wrote a bit about them after attending the launch event for their most recent book, Gregory Maguire’s The Next Queen of Heaven. 

It’s not a gimmick, it’s for real – generosity-based publishing.  Concord Free Press’ run of 1500 copies of Give + Take was distributed over a year ago.  Copies continue to circulate, based on the model of “paying it forward;” each person who accepts the book (for free!) agrees to give some money to a charity of their choosing, then pass the book on, so others can do the same.  It’s a win-win; the reader enjoys a fine piece of fiction and helps others by donating  that perceived value.  Hmm, I see a giveaway in the future of She is Too Fond of Books ….

FTC disclosure:  I received this book for free from the publisher.  But they give away all the books they publish, isn’t that awesome?!?  Check it out:  generosity-based publishing, a revolutionary idea!