{"product_id":"hearts-on-the-table-9781536240368","title":"Hearts on the Table","description":"\u003cb\u003eAs World War I rages, a seventeen-year-old English feminist with a penchant for thrashing men at cards finds herself stranded on an enemy-controlled island and tangled in the last mess she'd ever expect: love.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eViolet is used to winning--with her mathematical mind, no one stands a chance of beating her at cards, or much of anything else. So, when her wrathful father threatens to marry her and her trans twin brother Seb to the highest bidders, she's certain they can escape England, even with a war on. But before they reach safety in Italy, a U-boat sinks their ship, and Violet washes up on a small island, on the wrong side of enemy lines, desperate to find her missing twin. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo earn passage to the mainland, where she hopes Seb has landed, Violet disguises herself as a man and accepts a job delivering love poetry for melancholy pacifist Teo, the island's irritating golden boy. The object of his affection, fair Olivia, is less than enchanted, but she \u003ci\u003eis\u003c\/i\u003e intrigued by the handsome delivery boy--Violet in disguise. While Violet struggles to sidestep Olivia's attentions, she's vexed by her own inconvenient but undeniable attraction to Teo. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAdd a mysterious newcomer, who converts the love triangle into a square, and Olivia's autistic sister, who's concocting a devilish revenge against the island's biggest bully, and odds are things will only get messier. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFortunately, playing the odds is Violet's specialty. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a twisty transformation of Shakespeare's \u003ci\u003eTwelfth Night\u003c\/i\u003e, populated with queer, trans, and neurodivergent characters, Violet's bold prose alternates with verse chapters from the perspective of autistic musical prodigy Faustina. Susan Metallo's whip-smart writing and the fresh wartime setting make for a witty, elegant, and high-stakes exploration of love, loss, friendship, and identity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Candlewick Press (MA)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781536240368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 464\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.31h x 5.51w x 1.41d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2026 pg. 100\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Susan Metallo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52873265250485,"sku":"9781536240368","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/hearts-on-the-table-9781536240368","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}