by Kelly Burton

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 05, 2009

The story opens in 19th Century New England with the hero, a twelve-year-old orphaned boy called Ren, living in a Catholic orphanage hoping and dreaming of one day being rescued and brought into the bosom of a loving family. Ren knows little about his heritage having been dropped at the door of the orphanage as a baby. His hopes of one day having a loving family are minimal, as he is missing a left hand and is generally considered less desirable than the other able bodied children.

That is until one day when a young man called Benjamin Nab visits the orphanage and picks Ren out of the group of boys claming he is Ren's long lost brother. For once, Ren's missing hand seems to be his saving grace, as it becomes clear early on that con-artist Benjamin feels he can play on Ren's disability when "acquiring" money.

Ren is then taken across the country learning what its like living day to day outside the orphanage, meeting strange and interesting characters and listening to Benjamin as he weaves sometimes ridiculous and sometimes clever lies to gain Ren and others trust as well as con people out of money.

Will Ren ever find out who his true family are? Will he forever be embroiled in Ben's moneymaking schemes?

Ren is a character that gains the reader's sympathy almost immediately. Quite clearly a boy who has been unloved all his life, he shows love and a protective instinct throughout the book from the twins who enter the orphanage and become his best friends, through to his strange relationships with the adults in his story. Ren is courageous, bold, and giving and for that the writer Hannah Tinti should be applauded; Ren is a character that is unbelievably enjoyable to read about, one who invokes sympathy and horror when things go wrong, happiness and smiles when things go right.

In fact, as this is written from a child's perspective, the writing throughout the book is lively and feels almost like a children's story. Ren, before meeting Benjamin Nab, was a thief but always knew that what he did was wrong. Meeting Benjamin gives him a whole new perspective on things and opens up a whole new world and adventure. The stories that Benjamin weaves are wholly elaborate but highly entertaining and engrossing, often involving evil Indians, war stories mingled with ever lasting love - all told with a child audience in mind but also managing to entertain its intended adult audience.
As well as this, there is the friendships between the characters - especially the relationships that

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