{"product_id":"9781401042424","title":"I Lost It At The Beginning","description":"12-year old Michael, a modern-day Huckleberry Finn, bitterly dislikes his mother, and has a detached view of his father. In the year 1966, the civil rights struggle is at its height in the South, and Michael is in a crucial period of sexual awakening. Homosexuality, family disintegration, interracial relations, and the mysterious Clay Bertrand are intertwined in this uniquely blunt yet gentle story.  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eWhat is Michael's father's relationship with Mr. Bertrand, the tall, polished, white-haired man from New Orleans? And what exactly are his mother's feelings towards Michael's best friend James? I Lost It At The Beginning, by Donald H. Carpenter, the author of Dueling Voices (1993), is another combination of fears, hopes, and wonder that all come together in a thought-provoking story.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Xlibris Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47137884373232,"sku":"9781401042424","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781401042424_p0.jpg?v=1763713228","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781401042424","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}