Bond Street Summary

Margaret has for nine years been a shoplifter, making monthly "shopping sprees" (p. 133) without being caught. She makes sure that she always carries enough cash to pay for the items on her list in case she is caught, and has a careful methodology to minimize her risk. She takes only one item per store, so it is time-consuming, checking bags of stolen merchandise into the luggage lockers of each new store she visits. She selects items to please her husband Harry, to give as gifts, and for her own enjoyment.

This begins years earlier, when Harry gets a coworker at the factory pregnant, Margaret cool-headedly sets out the options: Harry either recognizes paternity, marries the girl, and supports both families, or claims that someone else might be the father and pays the girl a small lump-sum to thank her for his...