{"product_id":"bitter-is-the-wind-9781945572142","title":"Bitter Is the Wind","description":"Do Americans live in a land of freedom and equality where people with vision, brains, and a strong work ethic can have rewarding lives? Or is ours a society where well-being, dignity, and independence are reserved for a narrow elite? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eBitter Is the Wind\u003c\/i\u003e is a coming of age novel that traces the lives of George Johnson Jr. and his father from the rural blue-collar landscape of upstate New York in the 1970s to the halls of Wharton Business School and the heights of Wall Street. After a tragedy strengthens their familial bond, the Johnsons contend with assembly line monotony and unfulfilled dreams of baseball stardom, and they learn what it means to be tempted, trapped, jailed, and ignored by a seemingly uncaring God. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFirst time novelist Jim McDermott opens a window on the American working class and its aching desire for financial security, recognition, and respect. His characters confront a modern world with limited possibilities, ambiguous mores, and authorities who seem devoted to keeping the brightest and most talented members of the underclass on the other side of town. \u003ci\u003eBitter Is the Wind\u003c\/i\u003e is a deft and timely deconstruction of the American Dream.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJim McDermott\u003c\/b\u003e is a nationally recognized business litigation attorney based in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He has worked on an assembly line and also represented multinational corporations. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and the University of Virginia Law School. \u003ci\u003eBitter Is the Wind\u003c\/i\u003e, which he worked on for twenty-five years, is his first novel.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Rare Bird Books, a Vireo Book","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50525216538898,"sku":"9781945572142","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_44d75ff4-93f6-493a-b046-85d3b4f0e3c4.jpg?v=1731208687","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/bitter-is-the-wind-9781945572142","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}