{"title":"Emily Austin","description":"Emily Austin is the author of We Could Be Rats, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, Interesting Facts About Space, and the poetry collection Gay Girl Prayers. She was born in Ontario, Canada, and received two writing grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts. She studied English literature and library science at Western University. She currently lives in Ottawa, in the territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.","products":[{"product_id":"we-could-be-rats-paperback","title":"We Could Be Rats - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \"one-sitting-read\" (Laurie Frankel, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author) about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination--from the bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eInteresting Facts About Space\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal but having always resisted the idea of growing up into the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Her older sister Margit is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid's inability to conform to the expectations of polite society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut Sigrid's detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She's haunted by the pains of her past--from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta's friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A must read\" (Haley Jakobson, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editor's Choice author), \u003ci\u003eWe Could Be Rats \u003c\/i\u003eis an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101202026719,"sku":"9781668058152","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/qwY9vCzxtE9781668058152.webp?v=1781068459"},{"product_id":"is-this-a-cry-for-help-hardcover","title":"Is This a Cry for Help? - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEmily Austin, the bestselling \"queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines\" (Sarah Haywood, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cactus\u003c\/i\u003e), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDarcy's life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch's upcoming DEI programs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself. \u003ci\u003eIs\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThis a Cry for Help?\u003c\/i\u003e not only offers a moving portrait of queer life after coming of age but also powerfully explores questions about sexuality, community, and the importance of libraries.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102228779231,"sku":"9781668200230","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/u-b2W_7PNi9781668200230.webp?v=1781079182"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/emily-austin.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}