{"title":"Kira Jane Buxton","description":"Kira Jane Buxton's debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards, and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR,  Book Riot, and Good Housekeeping.","products":[{"product_id":"tartufo-paperback","title":"Tartufo - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eHollow Kingdom, \u003c\/i\u003ea fantastically funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever in this \"deliciously absurd tale....I savored every page of this book.\" (Shelby Van Pelt, author of \u003ci\u003eRemarkably Bright Creatures\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2025 \u003ci\u003eWashington Post \u003c\/i\u003eNotable Work of Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e After nearly losing the election to a geriatric donkey, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can't help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara's cherished \u003ci\u003eristorante \u003c\/i\u003eis long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with \u003ci\u003eglis glis \u003c\/i\u003epoo--even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that's left is Bar Celebrità, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina's volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they've spent their entire lives. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Little do the villagers know that local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything. A truffle--\u003ci\u003eun\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003etartufo\u003c\/i\u003e, that is--sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Written with the same enchanting style and raucous humor that defines \u003ci\u003eHollow Kingdom \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFeral Creatures\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTartufo\u003c\/i\u003e is a reflection on the interconnectedness of life in all its manifestations--and how holding on to harmony in the face of hardship can grow something beautiful and rare beneath the surface.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101133148383,"sku":"9781538770825","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/V-QAg4pQpL9781538770825.webp?v=1781068323"},{"product_id":"hollow-kingdom-paperback","title":"Hollow Kingdom - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Secret Life of Pets\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eThe Walking Dead\u003c\/em\u003e\" in this big-hearted, boundlessly beautiful romp through the Apocalypse, where a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive Seattle's zombie problem (Karen Joy Fowler, PEN\/Faulkner Award-winning author).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. \"those idiots\"), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos (R).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right. His tried-and-true remedies -- from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis -- fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he suddenly discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of Seattle's dangerous new predators.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV.\u003cbr\u003e What could possibly go wrong?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003e*Includes a Reading Group Guide\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101644493023,"sku":"9781538745830","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/TW4yUGxjWHJxREp3YkQ5RDNyV01YQT09.webp?v=1781071885"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/kira-jane-buxton.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}