{"title":"Truscott Jones","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"ready-set-pride-hardcover","title":"Ready...Set...Pride! - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot many gay teens experience their journey of self-discovery on a national stage. Then again, not many high school seniors inherit a team in the National Football League. Welcome to the coming of age, coming out, gridiron novel, Ready ... Set ... Pride!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax Sparks-Picou only thought his last year at Shirley Chisholm High was confusing, with the gorgeous but horribly straight Silas Cannon roaming the halls, and Max still in the closet. At least he had two awesome best friends, a loving family, and time to figure things out quietly - or so he thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo one foresaw Max thrust into the gladiatorial world of football, a sport he barely followed, and only because his grandpa Gunnar owned the NFL's newest franchise, the Portland Rogues.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo one imagined Gunnar suddenly dying, leaving the team not to its general manager and his only son, Fen, but to ... 18-year-old Max!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd no one, least of all shy Max, ever dreamed he would be forced to face his own truth, find the love of his life, and run a professional football team, all under the harsh glare of social media, hardcore fans and brutal sports reporters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile on the field, Portland has never put together a winning season. They have plenty of talent, and Coach Curcio definitely commands respect. But is it even possible for the Rogues to overcome the war between their suddenly jilted GM and his young, \"undeserving\" nephew?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan Max survive his peers' sudden interest, or the judgments of Reddit, Snapchat and Twitter? Will he overcome the scheming Uncle Fen and the skepticism of Rogues players? And what about the other owners - is accepting a teen colleague their biggest challenge, or the waving of a giant Pride flag?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost of all, though, does Max believe enough in himself, whether it's leading the club, confronting his foes, or accepting the affections of an unexpected beau? Can he win the Super Bowl and the hottest guy in school?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUsing his experience playing high school football and four years on a major college program's athletic staff, teaching World Issues to 12th graders, and as a once closeted teen himself, Truscott Jones probes what it means to uncover and accept who you are; to experience the gift of love and the blight of prejudice with equal resolve; and to learn that change is both hard, and inevitable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101661073631,"sku":"9781958889800","price":28.73,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/DZADD8hdTm9781958889800.webp?v=1781071926"},{"product_id":"return-to-dixie-hardcover","title":"Return To Dixie - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy the early twenty-first century, the Confederate and United States have bitterly co-existed for over 150 years. When the South's boxing champ shocks the world by defecting to the North, just as idealistic Union collegian Mateo and Dixie rugby star Micah unexpectedly fall in love, it unleashes a whirlwind of race, class and prejudice threatening more than the physical border that divides them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReturn to Dixie follows five complicated protagonists on journeys of perseverance, all of them seeking to overcome adversity in a world beset by intolerance. It is a fast-paced thriller speaking to the central challenge of our time: surviving the relentless forces of repression that threaten to suffocate decency and respect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a present-day America where the Civil War never happened, Lincoln surviving his election by mere days, title-holder Ignatius Johnson is ready to fight outside the ring, defying the Fugitive Subjects Law and sacrificing significant personal privilege, all for the freedom of his people. But the diabolical Sheriff of Shelby County is hell-bent on stopping him to preserve the South's brutal caste system, an unyielding segregation called \"Apartness.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, as student activist Mateo, who opposes everything symbolized by the Confederacy, is drawn to Micah, Confederate football superstar and the notorious sheriff's son, each must conquer culture, pride and mutual suspicions if their forbidden love is to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is up to a dueling pair of powerful women - the South's First Lady and the Union's preeminent history scholar - to confront not only one another, but sinister forces back home as they strive to overcome these twin threats and kindle a new era of dignity and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether engaging students in a diverse public school, or persuading judges and juries in the courtroom, Truscott Jones long ago learned that creative storytelling is a necessity. Return to Dixie is the product of that backdrop, drawing from his experience inside the grimy gears of law and politics, and exposure to the fears and optimism of our next generation's classrooms. This novel blends literary fiction and alternative history as it aims for the angst of Fredrik Backman's Beartown trilogy and the cultural exactitude of John Grisham's A Painted House. It explores the thin margins upon which history turns - painting a distinctive view of our modern American condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102227009759,"sku":"9781961265998","price":44.57,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/64hDGMo6Xd9781961265998.webp?v=1781079179"},{"product_id":"return-to-dixie-paperback","title":"Return To Dixie - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy the early twenty-first century, the Confederate and United States have bitterly co-existed for over 150 years. When the South's boxing champ shocks the world by defecting to the North, just as idealistic Union collegian Mateo and Dixie rugby star Micah unexpectedly fall in love, it unleashes a whirlwind of race, class and prejudice threatening more than the physical border that divides them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReturn to Dixie follows five complicated protagonists on journeys of perseverance, all of them seeking to overcome adversity in a world beset by intolerance. It is a fast-paced thriller speaking to the central challenge of our time: surviving the relentless forces of repression that threaten to suffocate decency and respect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a present-day America where the Civil War never happened, Lincoln surviving his election by mere days, title-holder Ignatius Johnson is ready to fight outside the ring, defying the Fugitive Subjects Law and sacrificing significant personal privilege, all for the freedom of his people. But the diabolical Sheriff of Shelby County is hell-bent on stopping him to preserve the South's brutal caste system, an unyielding segregation called \"Apartness.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, as student activist Mateo, who opposes everything symbolized by the Confederacy, is drawn to Micah, Confederate football superstar and the notorious sheriff's son, each must conquer culture, pride and mutual suspicions if their forbidden love is to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is up to a dueling pair of powerful women - the South's First Lady and the Union's preeminent history scholar - to confront not only one another, but sinister forces back home as they strive to overcome these twin threats and kindle a new era of dignity and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether engaging students in a diverse public school, or persuading judges and juries in the courtroom, Truscott Jones long ago learned that creative storytelling is a necessity. Return to Dixie is the product of that backdrop, drawing from his experience inside the grimy gears of law and politics, and exposure to the fears and optimism of our next generation's classrooms. This novel blends literary fiction and alternative history as it aims for the angst of Fredrik Backman's Beartown trilogy and the cultural exactitude of John Grisham's A Painted House. It explores the thin margins upon which history turns - painting a distinctive view of our modern American condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102243688671,"sku":"9781961265981","price":25.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/ixgnQzEmwb9781961265981.webp?v=1781079207"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/truscott-jones.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}