{"product_id":"a-map-of-the-world-9780385720106","title":"A Map of the World","description":"\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the author of the widely acclaimed \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Ruth\u003c\/i\u003e comes a harrowing, heartbreaking drama about a rural American family and a disastrous event that forever changes their lives. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"It takes a writer of rare power and discipline to carry off an achievement like \u003ci\u003eA Map of the World.\u003c\/i\u003e Hamilton proves here that she is one of the best.\" --\u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Goodwins, Howard, Alice, and their little girls, Emma and Claire, live on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Although suspiciously regarded by their neighbors as \"that hippie couple\" because of their well-educated, urban background, Howard and Alice believe they have found a source of emotional strength in the farm, he tending the barn while Alice works as a nurse in the local elementary school. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut their peaceful life is shattered one day when a neighbor's two-year-old daughter drowns in the Goodwins' pond while under Alice's care. Tormented by the accident, Alice descends even further into darkness when she is accused of sexually abusing a student at the elementary school. Soon, Alice is arrested, incarcerated, and as good as convicted in the eyes of a suspicious community. As a child, Alice designed her own map of the world to find her bearings. Now, as an adult, she must find her way again, through a maze of lies, doubt and ill will. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA vivid human drama of guilt and betrayal, \u003ci\u003e A Map of the World\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the intricate geographies of the human heart and all its mysterious, uncharted terrain. The result is a piercing drama about family bonds and a disappearing rural American life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJANE HAMILTON lives, works, and writes in an orchard farmhouse in Wisconsin. Her short stories have appeared in Harper's Magazine, and her first book, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Ruth, \u003c\/i\u003ewas awarded the 1989 PENHemingway Foundation Award for best first novel. Seven years after its publication, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Ruth\u003c\/i\u003e was chosen for the Oprah Book Club, giving it a second life. In 1994 Hamilton published \u003ci\u003eA Map of the World\u003c\/i\u003e which became an international best seller, and in 1998, \u003ci\u003eThe Short History of a Prince, \u003c\/i\u003ewhich won the Heartland Prize for Fiction, and was shortlisted for Britain's Orange Prize.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52057892618514,"sku":"9780385720106","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5e5a750e-443f-47f9-af17-3fbe03fc0cfa.jpg?v=1772014929","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-map-of-the-world-9780385720106","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}