{"product_id":"of-beasts-and-beings-9781609450540","title":"Of Beasts and Beings","description":"In this searing and timely novel, reminiscent of the work of J.M. Coetzee and Cormac McCarthy, the devastating effects of a country's economic and moral collapse provide the backdrop for a story about individual fortitude and conscience. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn an unnamed and post-apocalyptic African republic, militiamen seize a scavenger as he is digging for roots, or anything that will nourish him and keep him alive. He is traded and ransomed and ends up in the hands of another group, whose members include a pregnant woman whom he is forced to carry in a wheelbarrow on a nightmarish and seemingly endless overland journey. This story alternates with the diary entries of a white schoolteacher who, embittered by the horrific state of his country, is preparing to leave. Before he can do so, however, he must confront his own demons and personal failings. Both narrators are in danger and both are apparently helpless to control their fates. When these two plotlines brilliantly and surprisingly unite the result is electrifying, shocking, and brilliant. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith sparse and heartbreaking prose Ian Holding asks vital questions about personal responsibility, choice, and truth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Europa Editions\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/25\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781609450540\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 218\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.30w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/15\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2011\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ian Holding","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39893323645109,"sku":"9781609450540","price":12.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_394fb860-c297-41f2-b153-db476eadf9a6.jpg?v=1619538639","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/of-beasts-and-beings-9781609450540","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}