{"product_id":"kiss-the-scars-on-the-joe-okonkwo-9781612942032","title":"Kiss the Scars on the Back of My Neck: Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent Publishers Awards (IPPY) Silver Medalist in LGBT+ Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe eclectic stories in this collection are bound by the threads of desire in its many forms, above all, the desire for love and a place of safety in a world where being Black and gay can thwart the fulfillment of that longing. The characters are complex, driven, difficult, and even, at times, unsympathetic, but always compelling. In other words: fully rounded human beings living complicated lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA proud Black woman who escaped her rural, impoverished town returns after the collapse of her marriage and faces the scorn of those she left behind. A middle-aged gay man finds his loneliness temporarily relieved by the arrival of a stray cat. An unhappily married woman becomes enmeshed in her bisexual husband's attempt to create a \u003cem\u003eménage à trois\u003c\/em\u003e with a much younger man. A 16-year-old boy discovers the power of his sexuality when he embarks upon a dangerous seduction. Two Black men, one mature and rich, the other young and struggling, are drawn into a contentious affair by their shared love of opera. The legendary blues singer Glady Bentley crashes up against the barriers of race and gender when she gets caught up in a police raid. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eKiss the Scars on the Back of My Neck\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterful collection of stories by a gifted writer who has fully hit his stride.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Joe Okonkwo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1612942032\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781612942032\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bywater Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/10\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 220\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.60d","brand":"Joe Okonkwo","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44044091916543,"sku":"9781612942032","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1604aa13-aee0-41de-9ef0-70fe56ff8403.jpg?v=1684970889","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/kiss-the-scars-on-the-joe-okonkwo-9781612942032","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}