The Spoon Stealer

By: Lesley Crewe

Narrated by: Shelley Thompson

Born into a basket of clean sheets—ruining a perfectly good load of laundry—Emmeline never quite fit in on her family's rural Nova Scotian farm. After suffering multiple losses in the First World War, her family became so heavy with grief, toxicity, and mental illness that Emmeline felt their weight smothering her. And so, she fled across the Atlantic and built her life in England. Now she is retired and living in a small coastal town with her best friend, Vera, an excellent conversationalist. Vera is also a small white dog, and so Emmeline is making an effort to talk to more humans. When she joins a memoir-writing course at the library, her classmates don't know what to make of her. Funny, loud, and with a riveting memoir, she charms the lot. As her past unfolds for her audience, friendships form, a bonus in a rather lonely life. She even shares with them her third-biggest secret: she has liberated hundreds of spoons over her lifetime—from the local library, Cary Grant, Winston Churchill. She is a compulsive spoon stealer.

When Emmeline unexpectedly inherits the farm she grew up on, she knows she needs to leave her new friends and go see the farm and what remains of her family one last time. She arrives like a tornado in their lives, an off-kilter Mary Poppins bossing everyone around and getting quite a lot wrong. But with her generosity and hard-earned wisdom, she gets an awful lot right too. A pinball ricocheting between people, offending and inspiring in equal measure, Emmeline, in her final years, believes that a spoonful—perhaps several spoonfuls—of kindness can set to rights the family so broken by loss and secrecy.

The Spoon Stealer is a classic Crewe book: full of humour, family secrets, women's friendship, lovable animals, and immense heart.

©2020 Lesley Crewe (P)2024 Vagrant Press

Everything was great

Details were great enjoyed all the characters they were great good story. Ending was sad and I cried at the end

Will never forget this book

Excellent narration. Wonderful poignant story that one can relate to. Numerous at times, familiar reactions to family drama. Surprise ending but very subtle. Wish my dog could talk as clearly as ‘Vera’.

I laughed. I cried!

I really couldn't put it down voluntarily!! I will read it again! A great story of family

Don’t miss this one!

I loved the rich family and friend drama that went through 3 generations with Emmaline never giving up on wanting to bring them all together. My favorite part is her dog Vera who I know can talk if she chooses. Emmaline understands forgiveness and second chances. She gives everyone the chance to be included and loved.

Excellent family story.

I laughed, I cried. I couldn't put it down. The narrator was perfect. I will not soon forget this story.