Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Description: Experience the ups and downs, the ins and outs, of an obsessive, compulsive collector "forced" to steal money from her own town to fuel her habit - from a first hand perspective.
Mood: Darkly compelling. Much as the MC is compelled to keep collecting, you'll be compelled to keep unraveling her motivations, her tricks for identifying key pieces of art, and how she holds it all together.
**Spoilers last 2 paragraphs describe ending**
I went in to this read unsure of what to expect. While the storyline lacked some of the speed and drama that I - and I think that many other readers - were hoping for, it was still impactful and well-told. I did at times find myself rooting for the MC, despite the fact that you definitely should not. She is not a hero, or anti-hero; if anything she is the villain of the town of Pierson.
Inspired by the true story of the theft of roughly 54 millions dollars over the course of a 20 year period in another town in Illinois, the slow draining thefts from the fictional town featured in this book do an excellent job of depicting how those losses present as real issues in over time. Police funding, walk ways, school programs, roads, and more suffer as the small community decays further and further due to the unknown robbery of the few financial resources it should possess.
I'll admit, I was only interested in the story initially for the excitement of the good-girl turned fraud, society art critic, and collector living a double life. Reading Becky/Reba's internal thoughts and justifications as she at first slowly, and then with frightening increasing speed, steals the town of Pierson, IL's funds was wildly addictive. But the really crazy thing in all that's going on in this story is that Becky's convinced herself that she cares about Pierson and does her best to take care of her home town.
Meanwhile, her alter ego Reba does whatever she believes necessary to support not only the Arts in general sense, but to also keep up her own stable of personally financed artists. It's a tedious, tenuous, and completely illogical "balancing" act that Becky/Reba manages to draw out for over 30 years; before she is finally caught due to a simple mail processing error in the office by a temp.
Over the years, Becky's life in Pierson continues on at much the same pace as before. She makes no large purchases for herself that aren't directly related to her art procurement. No life style changes at home either.
The only times that the MC uses her "extra" money or her influence are to help her best friend Ingrid and her family who struggle financially. Due the her obsession, however, Becky completely fails to realize over the years that her friend needs her support in different ways, not money. She needs help with support at city council for educational programs for children like her son who have learning challenges.
Ingrid doesn't want individualized care for him, she wants him to socialize and for other children to have those same opportunities too. Becky only sees how tired Ingrid's son makes her, and how much her friend has changed since his birth, though. She wants Ingrid back, essentially.
This story was unexpectedly touching in many different ways. Though only told from the perspective of the one character, the author does a fantastic job of portraying the little joys and struggles of those around Becky/Reba.
My only disappointment with the novel would be that it was not as focused on the artwork itself as I would have perhaps expected upon initially going in. Once getting to know the MC and the backstory of how she becomes interested in the arts to begin with, however, it makes much more sense. Her interest in artwork isn't born of a background in culture or art education, but a sudden spark of obsession which is the catalyst of the novel's storyline.
**Spoilers**
As a result of the extra money and help that she's given their family over the years, wanted or no, Ingrid's family are horribly ostracized when the truth of Becky's fraud comes out to the town. When the MC is convicted of her theft, the town all assume that the MC's best friend HAD to have known what she was doing. And that she took perks while knowing that the rest of them all suffered and went without. After Ingrid tells Becky about the pain she's caused her family, she cuts her out of her life before the MC goes to prison.
Becky is sentenced to twenty years. In prison, she passes the time by teaching other inmates about finances. She still secretly, deep down, obsesses over paintings, helplessly.
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