Thirteen-year-old Theo was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan when a terrorist bomb struck. The blast leveled a wing of the museum and killed Theo's mother. Before wandering from the wreckage, Theo took a valuable painting - Carel Fabritius's "The Goldfinch" - and hid it for years. "The Goldfinch" is the title of Donna Tartt's 2013 novel, which tells Theo's story.

Theo moved in first with his best friend's dysfunctional family, then to Las Vegas to live with his estranged father, who is a grifter, gambler, and alcoholic.

Theo survived to adulthood thanks to his intelligence and the help of others - most notably his disreputable friend Boris and kindly old Hobie, who took in Theo and taught him the art of restoring antiques. But, the boy grew up flawed, nursing drug addiction, treating women as objects, and with a growing tendency to bend the rules when dealing with art collectors. All the while, he was haunted by the loss of his mother and the thought of the stolen painting hidden in a midtown storage unit. When Boris re-enters his life as an adult, Theo and Boris try to undo the damage they have done.

Although the terrorist attack on the Met is fictional, the painting is actual, as is Fabritius. The artist died in a 1654 explosion that destroyed many of his works.

"The Goldfinch" is a coming-of-age story about grief, friendship, dealing with tragedy, and redemption. It is also a thrilling action story of mobsters and international art thieves. Tartt takes the reader through the rollercoaster of Theo's life.

It was a thrilling ride.