{"product_id":"9780393242997","title":"9780393242997","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize\u003cbr\u003e Finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"[A] sparkling debut collection…features dreamers and schemers whose lives pulsate with wild hopes, hard luck, stunning secrets, and saving grace.\" —\u003cem\u003eElle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith intensity and emotional precision, Kirstin Valdez Quade's unforgettable stories plunge us into the fierce, troubled hearts of characters defined by the desire to escape the past or else to plumb its depths. The deadbeat father of a pregnant teenager tries to transform his life by playing the role of Jesus in a bloody penitential Passion. A young man discovers that his estranged father and a boa constrictor have been squatting in his grandmother’s empty house. A lonely retiree new to Santa Fe becomes obsessed with her housekeeper. One girl attempts to uncover the mystery of her cousin's violent past, while another young woman finds herself at an impasse when she is asked to hear her priest's confession.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlways hopeful, these stories chart the passions and obligations of family life, exploring themes of race, class, and coming-of-age, as Quade's characters protect, betray, wound, undermine, bolster, define, and, ultimately, save each other.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Norton, W. W. \u0026 Company, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47121505026288,"sku":"9780393242997","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780393242997_p0.jpg?v=1769892648","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780393242997","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}