{"product_id":"2940153928531","title":"Gardens of Hope: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eCan two men from the same city but segregated worlds maintain a connection during a time in US history that not only brands one of them as the enemy but denies that a love such as theirs exists?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the surface, Jack appears to have all a man in World War II era 1941 could want with his solid middle-class background, upcoming college graduation, and the perfect, devoted fiancee. But one night when he accidentally stumbles upon a shadow life of men who desire other men in a Downtown Los Angeles park, he begins to realize exactly what has always left him with a feeling of emptiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite the constant danger of being arrested by vice cops, Jack continues to visit the park every chance he has to feel a connection, no matter how fleeting, with another man. One night he meets a handsome and charismatic Japanese-American, Hiro, who appears to want more than a quick encounter, and Jack surprises himself by starting to truly fall in love for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066 and orders the mandatory relocation of over 100,000 Japanese-Americans, who have never been charged with a crime, to far flung internment camps sites. Jack and Hiro suddenly find themselves torn apart before their secret, fledgling romance can blossom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate to find and reconnect with Hiro, Jack accepts a high school teaching position at an internment camp in the California desert, Manzanar. There, surrounded by armed guard towers and a prison-like environment, Jack begins to fully realize the injustices being faced by Japanese-Americans during one of the most controversial times of United States history and shifts his world view- forever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chances Press, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47074640265456,"sku":"2940153928531","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940153928531_p0.jpg?v=1764064106","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940153928531","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}