{"product_id":"wonderland-a-tale-of-hustling-hard-and-breaking-even-9781668005040","title":"Wonderland: A Tale of Hustling Hard and Breaking Even","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \"touching memoir\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e) that \"brilliantly blends a history of Boston and its surrounding areas with the history of a fascinating--and at times functional--family\" (Isaac Fitzgerald, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDirtbag, Massachusetts\u003c\/i\u003e) as one girl discovers how to break free from the criminal underworld that surrounds her.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNicole Treska was born to a family of gangsters. In the 1970s, during Boston's mob wars, her grandfather's diner was an unofficial headquarters for Whitey Bulger and other members of the Winter Hill Gang. Nicole's father was also an associate of the gang: there was talk that, before Nicole could walk, her stroller was used as a decoy to sell drugs. In 1985, her father was arrested and tried--sentenced to two years in prison for federal drug trafficking. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWanting to offer a better life to her children, Nicole's mother moved her and her sister out of Boston. As an adult, Nicole strove to separate herself from her past, establishing a career as a writer and professor in New York City. But when she learns her father's sister has passed away, she returns to her hometown and reunites with her dad--now stooped and struggling to walk on a bad knee. As she gets reacquainted with him and the old neighborhood, Nicole is forced to reconcile with her harrowing childhood and its lingering impact. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA \"compelling portrait\" (Safiya Sinclair, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eHow to Say Babylon\u003c\/i\u003e) \"written with urgency, vulnerability, and compassion\" (Ashley C. Ford, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSomebody's Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eWonderland\u003c\/i\u003e masterfully explores and elucidates the line between helping family and hurting ourselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNicole Treska is the author of the debut memoir, \u003ci\u003eWonderland\u003c\/i\u003e. Her short fiction has appeared in \u003ci\u003eNew York Tyrant Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEpiphany Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eEgress: New Openings in Literary Arts\u003c\/i\u003e. Her interviews and reviews are up at \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGuernica\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBOMB\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/i\u003e, and then some. She lives in Harlem with her husband, James, and their three-legged dog, Nadine.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50590754078994,"sku":"9781668005040","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_902c3d64-6de9-40c9-90bf-608ab094c157.jpg?v=1753184955","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/wonderland-a-tale-of-hustling-hard-and-breaking-even-9781668005040","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}