{"product_id":"the-wife-who-wasnt-9781734537918","title":"The Wife Who Wasn't","description":"An Eastern European mail-order bride and her southern California husband clash in this dazzlingly written, rollicking comedy of manners\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlta Ifland was born in Transylvania (Romania), took part in the overthrow of Romania's communist dictatorship, and experienced two years of postcommunism before emigrating to the United States in 1991. She chose Moldova, Romania's eastern neighbor, for \u003ci\u003eThe Wife Who Wasn't\u003c\/i\u003e because in key ways that country represents the communist world in its most excessive aspects, and as such is the perfect counterpart to California. After a PhD in French language and literature, and several years in academia, she now works as a full-time writer, book reviewer, and translator (from French, Italian, and Romanian). She is the author of two books of short stories--\u003ci\u003eElegy for a Fabulous World\u003c\/i\u003e (2010 finalist for the Northern California Book Award in Fiction) and \u003ci\u003eDeath-in-a-Box\u003c\/i\u003e (2011 Subito Press Fiction Prize)--and two collections of prose poems--\u003ci\u003eVoix de Glace\/Voice of Ice\u003c\/i\u003e (bilingual, French-English, winner of the French prize Louis Guillaume) and \u003ci\u003eThe Snail's Song\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"New Europe Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50900919124242,"sku":"9781734537918","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_73a89ca8-0836-48c2-8a7e-ad85d9312d6b.jpg?v=1738405340","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-wife-who-wasnt-9781734537918","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}