{"product_id":"mad-hope-heather-birrell-9781552452585","title":"Mad Hope","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the stories of \u003ci\u003eMad Hope\u003c\/i\u003e, Heather Birrell finds the heart of her characters and lets them lead us into worlds both unrecognizable and alarming. We think we know these people but discover we don't--they are more alive, more real, and more complex than we first imagined. A high school science teacher is forced to re-examine the role he played in Nicolae Ceausescu's Romania after a student makes a shocking request. The uncertainty, anxiety, and anticipation of pregnancy are examined through an online chat group. Parenting is viewed from the perspective of a gay man caring for his friend and her adopted son. A tragic plane crash becomes the basis for a meditation on motherhood and its discontents.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBirrell uses precise, inventive language to capture the beautiful mess of being human--and more than lives up to her Journey Prize accolades. Her characters come to greet us, undo us, make us yearn, and make us smile.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHeather Birrell\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the story collection \u003ci\u003eI know you are but what am I?\u003c\/i\u003e Her work has been honored with the prestigious Journey Prize for short fiction and the Edna Staebler Award for creative nonfiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Heather Birrell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1552452581\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781552452585\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Coach House Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/02\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 232\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.20w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuill \u0026amp; Quire\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2012 pg. 29","brand":"Heather Birrell","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46962643697919,"sku":"9781552452585","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_3c603058-a5d2-4d5c-9ea6-c9f2330cdb0c.jpg?v=1750652086","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/mad-hope-heather-birrell-9781552452585","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}