{"product_id":"9781897109915","title":"Last Days of Montreal","description":"\u003cp\u003eMontreal is a city that has always represented the ideal of languages and peoples meeting, mixing and producing a culture greater than the sum of diverse parts. \u003ci\u003eLast Days of Montreal\u003c\/i\u003e travels through an imaginary cityscape, powered by apples, beer, the dream of love, and a dark but determined \u003ci\u003ejoie de vivre\u003c\/i\u003e which Montrealers adopt to survive the rising tide of bitter political schism, economic downturn, language laws, record snowfalls, crumbling streets and a baseball team on the verge of disappearing. The locus is a quiet enclave in the north-east end.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDonald is an idealistic anglo from Toronto who came to Montreal on the strength of his father's \"Liberal\" hopes. But Pascale, his \u003ci\u003epure-laine\u003c\/i\u003e wife, is inspired by a messianic \"Lucien\" and she sees the future differently. Bruce is a divorced Montreal-born anglo from the West Island, a failing stockbroker and an uncertain father, who is struggling to build a new life on the East Side where he now lives with Genevieve, a French ex-pat and freelance translator. Bruce sees the blue and white Quebec flag everywhere he looks, but when he tries to explain the \"near-death experience\" his country suffered in the referendum to Genevieve, she is not as sympathetic as he might wish. She is concerned with something beyond politics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf Bruce and Donald represent a cry from the middle-class, horrid Last Days is their hyper-echo. Loud and legless, Last Days is a dissolute tramp, a self-appointed profit of doom, wheeling around in his electric wheelchair, warning all citizens that Montreal is killing itself with this ridiculous French\/English political war. Last Days' world is the downtown streets. But a fateful meeting on the Cartier Bridge sparks love. A true Montrealer, Last Days heads into the north end, in search of his heart's desire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe time span is from the early 90's through to a blessed spring following the Ice Storm of January 1998. At its centre is that cold, nerve-wracking day in November 1995. \u003ci\u003eLast Days of Montreal\u003c\/i\u003e is emotional history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47131923677424,"sku":"9781897109915","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781897109915_p0.jpg?v=1763610924","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781897109915","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}