Portrait of a Thief

Více o knize

Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell in this lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums, exploring diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexities of Chinese American identity. History is often told by conquerors, and Western museums showcase the spoils of war and colonialism—priceless art looted from other countries. Will Chen, a Harvard senior, plans to steal these treasures back. He embodies the perfect student, an art history major and artist, living out his parents' American Dream. When a mysterious Chinese benefactor offers him an impossible job, Will becomes the leader of a heist to reclaim five priceless Chinese sculptures looted from Beijing centuries ago. His crew includes a con artist, Irene Chen, a public policy major at Duke; Daniel Liang, a premed student skilled in lockpicking; Lily Wu, an engineering major and race car driver; and Alex Huang, a former MIT student turned software engineer. Each member grapples with their identity as Chinese Americans, but none can refuse Will’s call. Success means fifty million dollars and a chance to reclaim history, while failure risks their dreams and another thwarted attempt to reclaim what colonialism has taken. This novel is a beautiful, thoughtful, and thrilling examination of identity and a critique of colonialism's lingering effects.