{"product_id":"later-days-9781644284926","title":"Later Days","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn an evocative follow-up to his \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling \u003cem\u003eArroyo\u003c\/em\u003e, Chip Jacobs returns with a gripping tale of brotherhood, recklessness, and footloose souls in the anything goes of late-seventies Southern California\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs their elite, all-boys prep school turns coed, transforming from suburban \u003cem\u003eLord of the Flies\u003c\/em\u003e to gender-roiled soap-opera, two unlikely friends-Luke Burnett and Denny Drummond--alternate rescuing each other from self-destruction amid troubled home lives. Eager to maximize their era as invincible seniors at Stone Canyon Prep, they and their pals commandeer Bob's Big Boy, explore the secret world beneath Caltech, stumble into a possibly-supernatural lab animal, and grapple with near-ODs at a playoff game. Just as our heroes manage to graduate, their bond is shattered by a wild gunshot that'll haunt them for decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty years later, Luke is a high-powered journalist with a nosediving career, while Denny, a visionary software engineer, is socked by a terminal diagnosis. Desperate to make amends for that coyote shot, Denny guilts his estranged friend into helping him, all climaxing with a Hail Mary bid to demystify mortality, with an assist from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, while reconnecting with what matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLater Days\u003c\/em\u003e is a powerful exploration of the ties that bind and break us. Perfect for readers drawn to rollercoaster friendships, forgiveness, and the raw beauty of life skimming its edges to Near-Death Experience. With insight into Pasadena's buried histories and the psychological baggage of growing up in the shadows of \"Great Men\" fathers, Jacobs' second novel is as emotionally resonant as it is intellectually sharp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJacobs, Chip:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChip Jacobs\u003c\/b\u003e is a genre-crossing author and prize-winning journalist. His first novel, Arroyo, about Pasadena, California's mysterious Colorado Street Bridge, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller, CrimeReads most anticipated book and Independent Book Publisher Award honoree. Among his other books are the international bestselling \u003ci\u003eSmogtown, \u003c\/i\u003ewhich he co-wrote with William J. Kelly and is under development for a streaming series, the acclaimed black-comedy, true-crime story, \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eThe Darkest Glare, and the Indies Book of the Year Finalist, Strange As It Seems. Jacobs' reporting and subjects have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Marketplace, CNN, LA Weekly, and the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Daily News\u003c\/i\u003e and elsewhere. Learn more at chipjacobs.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Bird Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51615563350290,"sku":"9781644284926","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_c97f431c-d289-4b83-8759-e3fc9a97ffa3.jpg?v=1758103344","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/later-days-9781644284926","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}