What She Stole: A Novel

$18.99

Samantha Kolber
December 1, 2026

“A well-executed literary coming-of-age novel.”
—Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

5-Star Readers’ Favorite

Samantha Kolber
December 1, 2026

“A well-executed literary coming-of-age novel.”
—Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

5-Star Readers’ Favorite

Release Date: December 1, 2026
Size: 5.25 x 8, 226 pages
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57869-884-4
eBook ISBN: 978-1-57869-899-8 Click Here to Buy the eBook
Library of Congress Control Number: 2026950306
Booksellers and Libraries: Order Info Here or at Ingram.

Synopsis

Memory is the girl and the girl, memory. Memory is the story we tell ourselves to hide, or to find, the truth down deep. Sometimes those two stories—the one we tell and the one buried deep—are the same.

Seventeen-year-old Eloise Goldstein is caught shoplifting at the local suburban mall and spends hours waiting for her narcissistic mother to pick her up. As the security guard locks her in a holding room, she sits with nothing to do but “think about her actions.” Alone, repressed memories emerge, bringing her childhood—growing up with a schizophrenic father and depressed mother—into new light.

From the author of the award-winning poetry chapbook Birth of a Daughter comes a lyrical coming-of-age novel about a young woman who struggles to feel loved and find her voice amid a chaotic household. What She Stole explores how Eloise, shaped by the dichotomies of memory and trauma, uses writing, mothering, and bodywork to heal.

Praise

“Kolber renders the liminal space between the past and present with sharp precision, pulling out shards of memory like glass from flesh. This portrait of a lonely, neglected child capable of extraordinary tenderness will stick with me for a long time.”

—Sarah Yahm, author of Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation

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“What She Stole is a story of trauma and resilience, taking us deep into the mind and heart of a young girl through heartbreaking moments and piercing memories. Kolber has created an unforgettable character who is coming of age amidst chaos, fending for herself, and finding her way over and over again through the fog to find her own light.”

—Katie Runde, author of The Shore

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“An astonishing work covering three generations of women and a decade of manuscript development. The narrative arc portrays in real time the fears and joys that consume our daily lives. But What She Stole goes well beyond the temporal and leads us to a greater perception of how these quotidian highs and lows dissolve in retrospect, eclipse the temporal, and lead us to a deeper and broader understanding of the life we’ve led. This well-wrought tale imbues the usual coming-of-age novel with the wisdom of retrospection.”

—Bill Schubart, author of Lila & Theron

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“Eloise Goldstein sees the outside world through the sharp lens of her polarizing homefront: her bodybuilder father and chain-smoking depressive mother rule the roost. Chased and caught by a security guard leaving Macy’s with a stolen purse, Eloise is placed in a locked office. Held for questioning, Eloise’s mind goes to work, churning through past and present, mining her memories in search of salvation. A teacher fails her in English class for not completing homework, when cherishing words is Eloise’s passion, her raison d’etre. Throughout the novel, Eloise’s poignant insights masterfully flesh out this troubled teen’s depth of character. We root for her time and time again. Kolber takes the reader for a roller coaster ride of adolescent contemporary life in this brilliant debut, What She Stole.”

—Lloyd Devereux Richards, bestselling author of the TikTok sensation Stone Maidens

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“What She Stole brings the reader into the finely drawn world of teenage Eloise who has just shoplifted a purse and finds herself in a small security office waiting for her neglectful mother to pick her up. In this lonely place Eloise explores the painful memories of her dysfunctional family and searches for meaning and direction. Deftly written with a strong sense of place, What She Stole guides us into a world of memory, survival, and compassion, and illustrates how we all can move beyond our histories and find a path to healing. A striking, powerful, and beautiful debut.”

—Katy Farber, author of The Board and What If It Wasn’t My Fault

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“Readers looking for a thoughtful novel that explores the impact of memories and trauma will resonate with this empathetic portrait of growing up…Great for fans of David Szalay’s Flesh.”

—BookLife Review by Publishers Weekly

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“What She Stole is a well-executed literary coming-of-age novel, and Eloise is a protagonist we want to root for…Sharon is brilliantly written as a mother Eloise can never quite read…Kolber immerses readers in the settings, from the hot seaside boardwalk beneath Eloise’s bare feet to winter trees outside an English classroom inspiring her first poem. Well written and extremely thoughtful, readers who enjoy true, pure literary fiction will adore this.”

—Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review

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“What She Stole is a nuanced, deeply relatable coming-of-age novel that thoughtfully takes on complicated family relationships and memory. Kolber makes the novel’s creative structure work beautifully, unfolding the story from the confined space of a mall security room while Eloise’s memories carry her far beyond those walls. Eloise is portrayed as a real and layered person, making it easy to connect with her. Kolber balances complex subject matter with an engaging writing style, making What She Stole an easy-to-digest and genuinely delightful read.”

–Gina Tron, author of Suspect

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“The family dynamics brought Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle to mind, particularly its combination of affection, humor, and painful honesty about a troubled childhood. Both books understand how a child can recognize a parent’s cruelty and still treasure a moment of tenderness…Kolber is attentive to the lasting influence of family habits, the stories people tell about themselves, and the difficulty of making sense of love when it arrives unpredictably. What She Stole is a thoughtful, sensory novel for readers who enjoy getting close to a character’s mind. Its strongest achievement is making Eloise’s longing feel specific enough that you can understand it, even when she’s struggling to understand it herself.”

–Literary Titan