{"product_id":"red-clay-suzie-9798888455289","title":"Red Clay Suzie","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Longlist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eGeorgia Author of the Year for First Novel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIndie Next List Pick--American Booksellers Association\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSeven Hills Literary Prize for Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eForeword INDIES Silver Book of the Year--LGBTQ+ Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eBook of the Year: International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eLambda Literary Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSouthern Literary Review Read of the Month\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSouthern Literary Review's 2023 TOP TEN BOOKS\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eA portion of the proceeds from the sale of Red Clay Suzie go to support the important work of The Trevor Project and the Born This Way Foundation.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eA novel inspired by true events\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe coming-of-age story of Philbet, gay and living with a disability, battles bullying, ignorance, and disdain as he makes his way in life as an outsider in the Deep South--before finding acceptance in unlikely places.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFueled by tomato sandwiches and green milkshakes, and obsessed with cars, Philbet struggles with life and love as a gay boy in rural Georgia. He's happiest when helping Grandaddy dig potatoes from the vegetable garden that connects their houses. But Philbet's world is shattered and his resilience shaken by events that crush his innocence and sense of security; expose his misshapen chest skillfully hidden behind shirts Mama makes at home; and convince him that he's not fit to be loved by Knox, the older boy he idolizes to distraction. Over time, Philbet finds refuge in unexpected places and inner strength in unexpected ways, leading to a resolution from beyond the grave.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJeffrey Dale Lofton hails from Warm Springs, Georgia, best known for Roosevelt's Little White House. He calls the nation's capital home now, where early on he spent many a night acting on the stages of DC's theaters and performing arts centers. He even scored a few television appearances, including a Super Bowl halftime commercial, which his accountant wisecracked \"is the finest work of your career.\" When he stepped away from acting for other, more traditional employment (much to his parents' delight and relief), he also focused on pursuing post-graduate work, ultimately being awarded master's degrees in both Public Administration and Library and Information Science. Today, he is a senior advisor at the Library of Congress, surrounded by books and people who love books--in short, paradise. Lofton is gay and is afflicted with pectus excavatum, both reflected in his debut novel \u003ci\u003eRed Clay Suzie\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Post Hill Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50598468059410,"sku":"9798888455289","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0d433a45-33a3-4dda-a8ba-ba8aead8d016.jpg?v=1732185549","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/red-clay-suzie-9798888455289","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}