Stealing Heaven

Stealing Heaven (Scott, 2008) is a fresh, fast-paced novel that deals with the creation of ethical standards and an individual sense of morality in adolescence. It is a coming of age novel that young readers can both relate to and learn from. It is the story of an eighteen year old girl who struggles with a developing sense of autonomy while negotiating a complex relationship with her mother. The heroine, Danielle, has lived her whole life moving from one place to the next with her mother stealing silver from wealthy homes. In a little town called Heaven, she begins to form relationships with residents which challenge her identity as a thief. The more invested she becomes in forming her own identity, the more estranged from her mother she becomes. Stealing Heaven captures Danielle’s struggle for maturity.