49 pages • 1 hour read
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
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Important Quotes
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of religious discrimination and death.
“His [the jeweler’s] passion was creating pieces he hoped would outlive him by hundreds of years. If one poured his heart and craftsmanship into his work, if one used only the finest gemstones and metals, one’s creations would be passed from generation to generation for a long time to come.”
(Prologue, Page 1)
The novel begins with the creation of the twin bracelets, as if they’re the subject of the book. This placement foreshadows their role in the plot as well as the other elements that are paired dualities, like the dual timeline and the pairing of Liliane and Colette, whom the bracelets come to represent. The jeweler’s ambition for his work to survive introduces the theme of legacy and the contributions a person can make to the world that will survive their lifetime.
“It [stealing] is only wrong in a world that is black and white, darling. If you can take from people who are cruel and unkind and use what you’ve taken to make the world a better place, then what you’ve done is heroic, not criminal. It is your destiny, Colette.”
(Chapter 2, Page 14)
The family’s supposed descent from the original Robin Hood introduces the novel’s thematic ideas about the endurance of family tradition. Annabel’s first lecture to Colette introduces the moral ambiguity that is debated between what is legally wrong and what feels morally unjust. The heroism of doing what one can to resist or fight injustice is an ongoing argument of the novel, which develops the theme of The Obligation to Resist Injustice.
“No descendant of Robin Hood could ever take public credit for the good he or she was doing in the world. It was too dangerous, and it would subvert the meaning of their work.”
(Chapter 3, Page 30)
This passage confirms the aspects of legacy, commitment, and family tradition to which Colette has adhered, while the emphasis on secrecy ties in with the novel’s themes about the burden of secrets. Rather than opposing justice, Colette repeatedly thinks of her work as doing good, since the result of her theft is to make her a benefactor of causes that help others.
