The monk's foundling Christophe seems destined to become a scribe. When a mysterious portrait commission takes him outside the abbey walls for the first time, he becomes aware of his lack of authenticity.He embarks on a quest for his true identity, both within and beyond the monastery, and soon encounters traditional gender roles and inequality.This story explores contemporary issues of gender and identity within the late medieval monastic world, full of dogma and obsession with replication.It is a historical novel about the fictional nature of authority, with a clear nod to one of history’s most copied painters, Jhieronimus Bosch.'The Water Thief' is part of 'Phossil's case' (trilogy) along with 'Queen of the Fleas'.Both novels are also being published as separate titles.Jan Van Aken (° 1971) is a Flemish author.