{"product_id":"book-gq8d","title":"I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDept. of Speculation\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eBlack Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance state\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, \u003cem\u003eI Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself\u003c\/em\u003e is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackstone Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49289553609008,"sku":"BDgq8d","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49289553641776,"sku":"ZEgq8d","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49289553674544,"sku":"ZMgq8d","price":35.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/gq8d-Square-cover.jpg?v=1782430219","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-gq8d","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}