{"product_id":"2940173438423","title":"The Harder They Come: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eAcclaimed \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author T.C. Boyle makes his Ecco debut with a powerful, gripping novel that explores the roots of violence and anti-authoritarianism inherent in the American character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet in contemporary Northern California, \u003cem\u003eThe Harder They Come\u003c\/em\u003e explores the volatile connections between three damaged peopleamp;#8212;an aging ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, his psychologically unstable son, and the sonamp;#39;s paranoid, much older loveramp;#8212;as they careen towards an explosive confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn a vacation cruise to Central America with his wife, seventy-year-old Sten Stensen unflinchingly kills a gun-wielding robber menacing a busload of senior tourists. The reluctant hero is relieved to return home to Fort Bragg, California, after the ordealamp;#8212;only to find that his delusional son, Adam, has spiraled out of control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdam has become involved with Sara Hovarty Jennings, a hardened member of the Sovereign Citizensamp;#8217; Movement, right-wing anarchists who refuse to acknowledge the laws and regulations of the state, considering them to be false and non-applicable. Adamamp;#8217;s senior by some fifteen years, Sara becomes his protector and inamorata. As Adamamp;#39;s mental state fractures, he becomes increasingly schizophrenicamp;#8212;a breakdown that leads him to shoot two people in separate instances. On the run, he takes to the woods, spurring the biggest manhunt in California history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs he explores a fatheramp;#8217;s legacy of violence and his powerlessness in relating to his equally violent son, T. C. Boyle offers unparalleled psychological insights into the American psyche. Inspired by a true story, \u003cem\u003eThe Harder They Come\u003c\/em\u003e is a devastating and indelible novel from a modern master.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47151032336624,"sku":"2940173438423","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940173438423_p0.jpg?v=1763850534","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940173438423","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}