{"product_id":"on-the-outskirts-of-normal-forging-a-family-against-the-grain-paperback","title":"On the Outskirts of Normal: Forging a Family Against the Grain - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDebra Monroe\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter moving to a humble cottage outside of a tiny Texas town, Debra Monroe rids herself of an abusive husband, battles sexist contractors and workers as she renovates her home, and finally, after several disheartening letdowns, is able to adopt her beautiful baby daughter, Marie. Though elated that her dream is coming true, Monroe faces trials that befall her not just as a single mother but as a white mother of a black child. In \u003ci\u003eOn the Outskirts of Normal\u003c\/i\u003e, two-time National Book Award nominee Monroe's heart creaks \"like china with hairline cracks\" each time a racist comment rolls their way or stares linger a little too long in their direction. Though she and her daughter face serious undiagnosed illnesses leading to innumerable, painful doctor visits, Monroe remains steadfast in her dedication to Marie and their small but tight family. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eReading \u003ci\u003eOn the Outskirts of Normal\u003c\/i\u003e at times feels like driving through an unwieldy thunderstorm at night on the unlit country roads that snake their way to Monroe's house in the woods; readers will feel her exhaustion but will be buoyed by her ever-present faith and fiery love. Pulitzer Prize winner Madeleine Blais writes that \u003ci\u003eOn the Outskirts of Normal\u003c\/i\u003e is the \"real deal: both a literary triumph and a triumph of the heart.\"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDEBRA MONROE is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Source of Trouble\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. She is also the author of the short story collection \u003ci\u003eA Wild, Cold State\u003c\/i\u003e; two novels, \u003ci\u003eNewfangled\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eShambles\u003c\/i\u003e; two memoirs, \u003ci\u003eOn the Outskirts of Normal\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMy Unsentimental Education \u003c\/i\u003e(both Georgia); and the essay collection \u003ci\u003eIt Takes a Worried Woman\u003c\/i\u003e (Georgia). She is the editor of \u003ci\u003eContemporary Creative Nonfiction.\u003c\/i\u003e She lives in Austin, Texas, and teaches in the MFA program at Texas State University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.65 x 8.55 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 01, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47468549931261,"sku":"9780820349114","price":32.87,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/3414\/0157\/files\/NWFvQXB6V254NURMQmRGY0JRa1Vrdz09.webp?v=1777290431","url":"https:\/\/booktolia.com\/products\/on-the-outskirts-of-normal-forging-a-family-against-the-grain-paperback","provider":"booktolia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}