An adventure story for the ages. It’s 1961, Charlie Fisher, the son of a foreign diplomat, finds himself adrift in the city of Marseilles. After witnessing a pickpocket in the busy city center, his intrigue draws him into an underground world of adolescent pickpockets, filled with a spirited, colorful cast of characters–ranging from identical Senegalese twins to a Southern belle to Russian kid they call The Bear. What seems like harmless fun and camaraderie quickly becomes an adventure with high stakes that hit a little too close to home.
The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is one of 12 finalists chosen for the 2019 Pacific Northwest Book Award. The six winners will be announced in January. nwbooklovers.org is posting blurbs from the committee for each of the shortlisted titles.