Superficially the story of one night of action-packed drama and suspense, THE CROSS THIEVES (Transit Lounge 2026) by Alan Fyfe is a deeply thoughtful exploration of issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, addiction, institutionalised abuse, violence, poverty and powerlessness.
Two young brothers, Gark and Pell, are living rough on the outskirts of a small town, squatting in an abandoned structure, hungry most days, with government support miniscule and unreliable, and no support at all from family or friends. They are on their own. They get by, just.
In this almost mythical, fairytale story of revenge, one night the boys steal a homemade cross, a memorial to someone they don’t think deserves any remembering. As they run through the night, hungry, thirsty, and chased by a series of people meaning to do them harm, they remember their life before, their family, their dashed hopes.
There are points of kindness and joy during this night, and during their remembering of past interactions, but not enough to douse the rage, anger and revenge boiling in their souls.
On this same night, a local pastor drives across town to spend some time with a dying parishioner. The connection between the two stories becomes gradually apparent.
The story is interspersed with letters between two women that also shed some light on the current circumstances.
This slim, fast paced novel presents a highly original voice, whip-smart humour, tenderness, poignancy and visceral brutality. Gark and Pell are unforgettable characters, tied by blood and familiarity and loyalty, tested by everything the world throws at them. This is humanity on the page: religion, class, race, poverty and power. The brothers champion the spirit of the underdogs and we as readers cheer them on at every step.
With the mysteries of philately, stories of constructing buildings and of tearing them down, myths and legends about carnivals and beliefs and the difference between right and wrong, THE CROSS THIEVES is an unputdownable read that is thoughtful, gripping and shocking, with some unexpected twists and surprises and an (in hindsight) inevitable and satisfying denouement. Highly recommend.