{"product_id":"i-keep-my-exoskeletons-to-myself-9781646221295","title":"I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDept. of Speculation \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eBlack Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance state\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime--and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. She can't forget her wife, but with time, she can make a new life for herself and the kid, supported by a community of fellow misfits who defy the Department to lift one another up in solidarity and hope. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, \u003ci\u003eI Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself \u003c\/i\u003eis a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Catapult\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/17\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781646221295\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/10\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2022 pg. 46\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/15\/2022\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Marisa Crane","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42520624529589,"sku":"9781646221295","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_29154e50-c320-4ea1-86a4-7fa2d229363e.jpg?v=1669130521","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/i-keep-my-exoskeletons-to-myself-9781646221295","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}