{"product_id":"vera-violet-9781640092327","title":"Vera Violet","description":"\u003cb\u003eSet against the backdrop of a decaying Pacific Northwest lumber town, \u003ci\u003eVera Violet\u003c\/i\u003e is a debut that explores themes of poverty, violence, and environmental degradation as played out in the young lives of a group of close-knit friends. Melissa Anne Peterson's voice is powerful and poetic, her vision unflinching.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eVera Violet\u003c\/i\u003e recounts the dark story of a rough group of teenagers growing up in a twisted rural logging town. There are no jobs. There is no sense of safety. But there is a small group of loyal friends, a truck waiting with the engine running, a pair of boots covered in blood, and a hot 1911 pistol with a pearl grip. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eVera Violet O'Neel's home is in the Pacific Northwest--not the glamorous scene of coffee bars and craft beers, but the hardscrabble region of busted pickups and broken dreams. Vera's mother has left, her father is unstable, and her brother is deeply troubled. Against this gritty background, Vera struggles to establish a life of her own, a life fortified by her friends and her hard-won love. But the relentless poverty coupled with the twin lures of crystal meth and easy money soon shatter fragile alliances. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer world violently torn apart, Vera flees to St. Louis, Missouri. There, alone in a small apartment, she grieves for her broken family, her buried friends, and her beloved, Jimmy James Blood. In this brilliant, explosive debut, Melissa Anne Peterson establishes herself as a fresh, raw voice, a writer to be reckoned with. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVera Violet\u003c\/i\u003e is the most authentic and exciting debut I've read in a long time. At once gritty and jaw-droppingly lyrical, Peterson's voice is a clarion call for the downtrodden and disenchanted. Reading \u003ci\u003eVera Violet\u003c\/i\u003e is nothing less than a visceral and stirring experience. --Jonathan Evison, author of \u003ci\u003eLawn Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Counterpoint LLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/04\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781640092327\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.60lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/07\/2020 pg. 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/11\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/28\/2020 pg. 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Melissa Anne Peterson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38470854181045,"sku":"9781640092327","price":14.41,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_1cda0852-1d6a-42c2-8c7d-72faf54c935d.jpg?v=1612927392","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/vera-violet-9781640092327","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}