{"product_id":"2940148394471","title":"Betty's Child","description":"A Hoffer Award Grand Prize Finalist, and recognized by the Hoffer Awards as one of the best new memoirs of the year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela's Ashes, Don Dempsey uses Betty's Child to tell the story of life with his cruel and neglectful mother, his mother's abusive boyfriends, and hypocritical church leaders who want to save twelve-year-old Donny's soul but ignore threats to his physical well-being. Meanwhile, Donny's best friend is trying to recruit Donny to do petty theft and deal drugs for a dangerous local thug. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a memoir that has also been compared to The Liars' Club, The Glass Castle, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, and Studs Lonigan, young Donny is a real-life cross between Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield as he tells his story, with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril--and the future more uncertain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cbr\u003eMORE GREAT BOOKS FROM DREAM OF THINGS (all for $2.99 or less!):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDream of Things is an independent press focused on \"distinctive voices, meaningful books.\" Other books include:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEverything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera: A family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. \"Raw and funny.\" Joel Stein, Time Magazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Sharples: A mother's story of living with her son's bipolar disorder and surviving his suicide. \"A moving read of tragedy, trying to prevent it, and coping with life after.\" Midwest Book Review (MBR)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSwimming with Maya by Eleanor Vincent: A memoir of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. \"Vincent's poignant decision to donate Maya's organs will resonate with even hard-boiled readers.\" Booklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDaughters of Absence: A collection of twelve essays written by daughters of Holocaust survivors. \"A powerful, life-affirming read.\" MBR\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaying Goodbye: to the people, places and things in our lives. \"Tender perspectives helping readers with their own goodbyes.\" MBR\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBe There Now: Travel stories from around the world. \"More of an experience instead of reportage; I was truly THERE instead of HERE.\" Marginalia","brand":"Dream of Things","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47067833041136,"sku":"2940148394471","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940148394471_p0.jpg?v=1763708699","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940148394471","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}