booksaremypeople 's review for:

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

4.0

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This thrill ride art heist novel was a delight to read. It starts off with a museum robbery where twenty-three priceless pieces of Chinese art are stolen, but Will Chen, an art history major at Harvard and part-time employee of the museum takes something as well - a jade tiger that fits snugly in his pocket. As a Chinese American, he feels that he has more of a right to the piece of art that once belonged to China than Harvard does. He confesses his thieving to an old Flame, Alex, a tech whiz and MIT dropout, living in Silicon Valley . The museum robbers have left something behind, a business card and Will is compelled to call, which leads to a proposition to fly to Beijing where they are joined by three others, including Will’s sister, and receive directives to “steal back” artwork that’s been appropriated by different countries and return them home to China. In return, they’ll receive fifty million dollars to change the course of history. But is it worth the risk? This novel is fast-paced, fun and thoughtful look at whether or not art belongs to its origin country and identity issues and loyalty to one’s country of origin. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a heist novel, especially if you happen to be an art lover. Thank you to penguin Group Dutton and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.