{"product_id":"9781646222063-secondhand-i-keep-my-exoskeletons-to-myself-a-novel","title":"I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself: A Novel","description":"Dept. of Speculation  meets  Black Mirror  in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance state  In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime-and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections. Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. She can't forget her wife, but with time, she can make a new life for herself and the kid, supported by a community of fellow misfits who defy the Department to lift one another up in solidarity and hope. With a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong,  I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself  is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48737489060059,"sku":"9781646222063-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/e371aa96-6c3e-4401-a573-20b3bfeaac7f.jpg?v=1777743330","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/9781646222063-secondhand-i-keep-my-exoskeletons-to-myself-a-novel","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}