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The Forty Elephants

A Novel

Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
3 of 3 copies available
3 of 3 copies available

Peaky Blinders meets Ocean's 8 in The Forty Elephants, an epic novel set in Roaring Twenties London, based on the real-life, all-female gang of the same name who specialized in crime as high art, targeting posh department stores and elites.

London in the 1920s is no place for a woman with a mind of her own. Gang wars, violence, and an unforgiving world have left pickpocket Alice Diamond scrambling to survive in The Mint, the gritty neighborhood her family has run for generations. When her father goes to jail yet again and her scam artist brother finds himself in debt to the dangerous McDonald crime syndicate, Alice takes over. Fighting for power at every turn, she struggles to protect her father's territory and keep the people she loves safe from some of London's most dangerous criminals.

Recruited by the enigmatic Mary Carr, Alice boldly chooses to break her father's edict against gangs and become part of a group of notorious lady shoplifters, the Forty Elephants. Leaving The Mint behind, she and the other girls steal from the area's poshest department stores, and for the first time in her life, Alice Diamond tastes success. But it's not long before she wants more—no matter the cost. And when her past and present collide, there's no escaping the girl from The Mint.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 27, 2022
      Bledsoe’s impressive debut draws on the true story of an all-female gang of thieves that operated in London from the late 19th century until the 1950s. Alice Diamond supports her family in 1920 by working two jobs. By day, she’s a maid in the household of actor Pearl King, and by night, she serves cocktails at the 43 Club. Both positions are covers for larceny; Diamond is scheming to break into the Kings’ safe, and she uses her looks to distract patrons of the club while she picks their pockets. Her life changes when her former best friend, Maggie Hill, shows up at the club, and the Forty Elephants, a theft ring comprising entirely women and which counts Maggie as a member, invites Diamond to join. She refuses, despite their promise of steady work and income, until her ne’er-do-well brother, Tommy, runs afoul of the vicious McDonald brothers, whom he stole from to get the funds to bribe a judge to spring Diamond and Tommy’s father from prison. Diamond then joins the Forty Elephants, ostensibly on a temporary basis to help Tommy, while also trying to rescue Pearl from her abusive spouse. Bledsoe evokes the feel of the mean streets of London, and the desperation of those living there. Fans of intelligent historical fiction will be eager to see what Bledsoe does next. Agent: Carrie Pestritto, Laura Dail Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Based on the true story of a gang of female shoplifters in 1920s London, this audiobook fictionalizes the criminal success of gang leader Alice Diamond, who rose from poverty to power and luxury. Hannah Curtis portrays Alice's bold audacity in a slightly gritty London accent and provides colorful characterizations of members of her gang. Curtis does well in depicting the tension and violence inherent in the dealings the women had with the men of rival gangs. The storytelling is crisp and clear, but the well-written action would have been better served by a faster pace. When Alice becomes determined to take over the illustrious Forty Elephants gang, she risks not only her family's reputation, but also the lives of the women in her circle. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Alice Diamond is de facto leader of a group of petty thieves living in a tough London neighborhood known as the Mint. Alice truly cares about the welfare of those she leads and strives to follow her father's lead in keeping the peace and warding off incursions from outside gangs. Although she resents being seen as less capable because she is a woman, she tenaciously maintains her leadership position. When a childhood friend offers Alice a place in the Forty Elephants, a classy ring of shoplifters comprised entirely of women, she joins only because she must pay off her brother's debts. Though Alice does well in the gang, she is a leader, not a follower, and soon, she ambitiously plans an audacious robbery. Bledsoe's engaging debut fictionalizes a true story of a similar female gang in the 1920s. Narrator Hannah Curtis expertly embodies Bledsoe's well-rounded and complex characters. Curtis provides a wide range of character voices, with excellent pacing and emotion. VERDICT A compelling debut, categorized as historical fiction, but sure to appeal to thriller and mystery readers as well. Highly recommended.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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