{"product_id":"names-on-a-map-9780061285691","title":"Names on a Map","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A book of great lyrical power, \u003cem\u003eNames on a Map\u003c\/em\u003e is a heartbreaking mirror for our own time, about an American family torn apart by an unjust war. In Ben Saenz' dexterous, tender hands, this novel is a salve upon the wounds of both then and now.\" --Ruben Martinez, award winning author of \u003cem\u003eCrossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA haunting novel from award-winning author and poet Benjamin Alire Saenz, about a family of Hispanic immigrants handling the psychological effects of a war they don't feel is theirs to fight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War, the Espejo family of El Paso, Texas, is just like thousands of other American families coping with a war they feel does not concern them. When Gustavo, the eldest son--the \"bad boy\" of the family--is told to report for basic training, his ideology and sense of patriotism is put to the test. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Opting to flee to Mexico and avoid the draft, Gustavo soon realizes he is no more culturally connected to his ancestral homeland than he is to the America that called him to war. Poignant and insightful, \u003cem\u003eNames on a Map\u003c\/em\u003e explores with complex detail the harsh nature of immigrant life in the United States--and the emotional tug-of-war experienced by all those with allegiance to more than one country.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSaenz, Benjamin Alire:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eBenjamin Alire Sáenz is the author of \u003cem\u003eIn Perfect Light\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCarry Me Like Water\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eHouse of Forgetting\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as the author of several children's books. He won the American Book Award for his collection of poems \u003cem\u003eCalendar of Dust\u003c\/em\u003e. Sáenz is the chair of the creative writing department at the University of Texas-El Paso.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50459895398674,"sku":"9780061285691","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_02d72621-a045-4c07-a252-1a1ff1ff87ac.jpg?v=1730012540","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/names-on-a-map-9780061285691","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}