{"product_id":"9780807159583","title":"Joy, PA: A Novel","description":"A darkly insightful evocation of the post-industrial era, \u003cem\u003eJoy, PA\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of a family teetering on the precipice of ruin. The Augenbaughs live in a broken and decaying town where the last vestiges of country-club wealth run up against the terrible realities of working-class poverty. Abigail, a fervent believer in the apocalyptic teachings of a radio preacher, is desperate to save her son from Judgment Day as she readies herself for the Rapture-due to arrive in just a few days. Her husband, Burns, has moved to the basement to live out his days in a medicated stupor, unable to cope with memories of his service in Iraq. Caught between the suffering of his mother and father, ten-year-old Willie fights the inherited demons that have savaged his parents' tenuous grasp on reality. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe somber drama surrounding the Augenbaughs plays out with a piercing and commanding lyrical beauty. Both transfixing and disconcerting, Steven Sherrill's empathetic portrait of alienation elicits hope and sympathy amidst shattered but no-less-dignified lives.","brand":"Louisiana State University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47129087213808,"sku":"9780807159583","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780807159583_p0.jpg?v=1763725895","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780807159583","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}