{"product_id":"once-there-was-9781797150772","title":"Once There Was","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn Odyssey Award Finalist\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eA Morris Award Finalist\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eImpossible Creatures\u003c\/i\u003e meets Neil Gaiman in this \"striking and heartfelt\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e) novel about an Iranian American girl who discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures--and that she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eOnce was, once wasn't.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSo began the stories Marjan's father told her as a little girl--fables like the story of the girl who sprung a unicorn from a hunter's snare, or the nomad boy who rescued a baby shirdal. Tales of mythical beasts that filled her with curiosity and wonder. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut Marjan's not a little girl anymore. In the wake of her father's sudden death, she is trying to hold it all together: her schoolwork, friendships, and keeping her dad's shoestring veterinary practice from going under. Then, one day, she receives a visitor who reveals something stunning: Marjan's father was no ordinary veterinarian. The creatures out of the stories he told her were real--and he traveled the world to care for them. And now that he's gone, she must take his place. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMarjan steps into a secret world hidden in plain sight, where magical creatures are bought and sold, treasured and trapped. She finds friends she never knew she needed--a charming British boy who grew up with a griffon, a runaway witch seeking magic and home--while trying to hide her double life from her old friends and classmates. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe deeper Marjan gets into treating these animals, the closer she comes to finding who killed her father--and to a shocking truth that will reawaken her sense of wonder and put humans and beasts in the gravest of danger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKiyash Monsef is an Emmy Award-nominated producer and director; a writer of short stories, videos, comic books, and games; and a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. He's the author of \u003ci\u003eOnce There Was\u003c\/i\u003e, which was a finalist for the Morris Award, and \u003ci\u003eBird of a Thousand Stories\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Audio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50562239922450,"sku":"9781797150772","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4bb2eec3-9668-4a99-98a7-438652c43a53.jpg?v=1748694057","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/once-there-was-9781797150772","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}