Alumni Publications
Norman Birnbach ’81 has co-written a new young adult book entitled Stealing Time (Linden Tree Press), that arrived in book stores on November 19, 2024. The novel – a time-travel jewelry heist that received a Claymore Top Pick at the 2024 Killer Nashville International Writers Conference – is based on an idea that he and his then-teenage daughter developed.
As the story goes, it is 2020 when 15-year-old New Yorker Tori Gold stumbles onto a long-hidden family secret about her late grandfather: Victor was imprisoned in 1980 for stealing the legendary Desert Sun diamond. Her father, Bob, accuses her of snooping and they have the latest in a series of fights. After Tori slams her bedroom door, a terrifying vortex transports her to 1980. In the bedroom she knows as her own, a teenage boy claims she’s an intruder. That boy is her dad, now 15. They’ve never gotten along, but he’s her only ally to prevent the audacious robbery of Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History (inspired by a real-life robbery).
Simultaneously home and not home, Tori finds herself in a gritty New York City just beginning to claw its way out of bankruptcy. Pollution and crime are rampant; cell phones and the Internet are nonexistent; graffiti and garbage are everywhere; women wear fur coats; and everyone smokes. But the biggest shock is that Tori enjoys spending time with her father, Bobby, who, as a teenager, is smart, funny, and thoroughly likable. Did his father’s going to prison destroy Bobby’s life? Was Victor a criminal mastermind or the fall guy? Can two teenagers stop a gang from stealing the Desert Sun? Will Tori get back to her own time? And how will Bobby react when she tells him she’s an accidental time-traveler—and his daughter?
Norman and his co-author, Tilia Klebenov Jacobs, researched 1980s New York City to depict it accurately. As Norman shared:
There are references to street signs with poor grammar – I believe it was Mr. Simpson, my 9th grade English teacher, who complained that the Don’t Walk signs were missing the apostrophe – and that’s mentioned in the book. (Although I don’t cite Mr. Simpson.)
There are many scenes where Tori from 2020 has trouble with “primitive” 1980s tech — like no mute or speaker buttons on landlines, no pause button when watching TV, and needing change to make a phone call using a phone booth. There are references to Crazy Eddie commercials, Gray’s Papaya, midnight showings of Rocky Horror, and Greenwich Village record stores.
Norman is also the author of more than 100 humor pieces and short stories in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall St. Journal, New York Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, the Militant Grammarian and other publications. A native New Yorker, he lives outside Boston with his wife, three children, and dog, Taxi. Follow him on Twitter: @NormanBirnbach or visit normanbirnbach.com.
Reviews of Stealing Time include:
Fans of classic time-travel narratives will find much to love here…the characters are distinctive enough to keep this work feeling fresh. Tori’s unique humor—she refers to summer camp as “New York with mosquitoes”—and the authors’ smooth prose make this a delight…a classic…well rendered.” –The Kirkus Review
“Stealing Time, a whip-smart, time-travel novel, is as clever and inventive as it is fascinating and compelling. Filled with facts about gemstones, quantum physics, nostalgic scenes of 1980s New York City, a zany female thief and her cohorts, and heartwarming family scenes, this is a tale for readers from fifteen to ninety. Highly recommended.” --New York Times bestseller M.J. Rose
“Captivating, fast-moving, and funny, Stealing Time will steal your heart.” --Sarah Smith, bestselling author of Agatha Award-winner The Other Side of Dark and Crimes and Survivors
“Stealing Time is a zippy, time-bending crime caper, full of youthful verve and fun for all ages. The teenage banter sparkles like the diamond at the center of the heartfelt heist story.” --Joanna Schaffhausen, author of Gone for Good
“Co-authors Tilia Klebenov Jacobs and Norman Birnbach have crafted a fun and interesting time-travel caper novel, a love letter to New York filled with sharp insights and surprises. A fast, exciting read, and a sure-fire hit.” --Dale Philips, author of the Zack Taylor mystery series
“What happens when you cross a jewelry heist thriller with time travel? A new take on both genres that is original and entertaining. Stealing Time will transport you back to gritty 1980 Manhattan along with protagonist Tori, who finds herself far away from her familiar 2020 to team up with her teenage father to thwart a crime before her grandfather goes to jail for it. A fresh, fun, authentic must-read for both young adults and those not-so-young who came of age in the 80s.” --R.J. Cadmus, author of Ordinary Man and Mob Guy
“Stealing Time was so good I sat down and reread it as soon as I’d finished. Now THAT’s a good read!” You Decide: Should I Read it or Not? blog