Thief Eyes

Originally published: New York: Random House, 2010.

Can you kill the dungeon before it kills you?

Based on a true story, a young boy who becomes fatherless is adopted by an American. The boy finds syringes and plays with them, damaging his eye. Through various misadventures, a ruthless doctor is discovered to be selling children's eyes to tourists for cornea transplants. Family and friends work together to bring justice, but kidnappings and other complications begin. Can the corruption be stopped?

The author traces the development of the theme of Krishna as butter thief from its earliest appearance in literature and art until the present. He focuses on the dramas (ras lilas) of Krishna's native Braj and on the Sur Sagar, a collection of verse attributed to the sixteenth-century poet Sur Das that is as familiar to Hindi speakers as Mother Goose is to us. Originally published in 1983. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Overflowing with wit and invention, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery by his brutal master, Mr. Seamus. One fateful afternoon, as he's picking the pockets of townspeople enraptured by a travelling haberdasher, he "discovers" (steals) a box of magical eyes. When he tries on the first pair, he is instantly transported to the island at the top of the world, where he meets the maker of the eyes, Professor Cake. The Professor gives Peter a choice: travel to the mysterious Vanished Kingdom and try to rescue a people in need ... or return back to his master and a life of crime. Peter chooses wisely, and together with Sir Tode, a knight errant who has been turned into a rather unfortunate combination of human, horse and cat by a grumpy witch, he embarks on an unforgettable adventure in a book destined to become a classic.

The dashing Mr. Hugo Devenish had come to London on an important mission: to prevent his innocent nephew from marrying an unsuitable young heiress. He'd never expected to be trounced upon by the most infamous thief in town! All society was agog at the rash of burglaries being committed by the mysterious Chinaman, but Hugo's attention was diverted once he was introduced to his nephew's heiress, the intriguing Miss Kit Singleton. Hugo found himself utterly enchanted. But her dubious background gave rise to the suspicion that Miss Singleton was somehow connected to the notorious thief. And Hugo could only hope to uncover Kit's many secrets, before the winsome beauty managed to steal his heart!

Life is full of life-changing events. Obviously. Millie, however, never expected the change to come at the tip of a stick. One late-night walk has her face off against a trio of men intent on having some fun with her. The tables are turned when she stumbles upon a stick in the path, a stick with some interesting abilities. The men are sent packing and Millie stands tall with her prize and pride. Triumph turns to trouble as she's literally dropped into a new world. She falls into the strong arms of a masked rogue with dragon wings, and he places her in the charge of an old friend, the handsome and wealthy Count Benjamin Castle. He’s as mysterious as his acquaintance, and the heated looks he gives her reveals that his interest in her is more than just mere kindness. However, Millie’s only thought is to return to her own world, but they’re not the only ones searching for answers to her problem. Someone else wants to learn the secrets of traveling between worlds, and they’re not afraid to play dirty to get to the answer first. Their adventure leads them from the deepest sewers, to the sleaziest auction houses, and up to the highest heights of high society, and all the while Millie begins to wonder what her heart truly desires. The wonders of fantasy, fun, and magic were alluring, and the pair of men who called themselves her protectors intrigued her even more. As their journey takes them deeper into this new world, she must make a choice: leave it all behind or embrace the budding romance that promises to reveal a deep secret.