{"product_id":"the-harder-they-come-9780062349385","title":"The Harder They Come","description":"\u003cp\u003eAcclaimed \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author T.C. Boyle makes his Ecco debut with a powerful, gripping novel that explores the roots of violence and anti-authoritarianism inherent in the American character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet in contemporary Northern California, \u003cem\u003eThe Harder They Come\u003c\/em\u003e explores the volatile connections between three damaged people--an aging ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, his psychologically unstable son, and the son's paranoid, much older lover--as they careen towards an explosive confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn a vacation cruise to Central America with his wife, seventy-year-old Sten Stensen unflinchingly kills a gun-wielding robber menacing a busload of senior tourists. The reluctant hero is relieved to return home to Fort Bragg, California, after the ordeal--only to find that his delusional son, Adam, has spiraled out of control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdam has become involved with Sara Hovarty Jennings, a hardened member of the Sovereign Citizens' Movement, right-wing anarchists who refuse to acknowledge the laws and regulations of the state, considering them to be false and non-applicable. Adam's senior by some fifteen years, Sara becomes his protector and inamorata. As Adam's mental state fractures, he becomes increasingly schizophrenic--a breakdown that leads him to shoot two people in separate instances. On the run, he takes to the woods, spurring the biggest manhunt in California history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs he explores a father's legacy of violence and his powerlessness in relating to his equally violent son, T. C. Boyle offers unparalleled psychological insights into the American psyche. Inspired by a true story, \u003cem\u003eThe Harder They Come\u003c\/em\u003e is a devastating and indelible novel from a modern master.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoyle, T. C.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eT.C. Boyle has published fourteen novels and ten collections of short stories. He won the PEN\/Faulkner award in 1988 for his novel \u003cem\u003eWorld's End\u003c\/em\u003e, and the Prix Médicis étranger for \u003cem\u003eThe Tortilla Curtain\u003c\/em\u003e in 1995, as well as the 2014 Henry David Thoreau award for excellence in nature writing. He is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California and lives in Santa Barbara.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50513775984914,"sku":"9780062349385","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_24a87776-5ba2-4a5e-9715-bdc910319219.jpg?v=1730966815","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-harder-they-come-9780062349385","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}