{"product_id":"the-last-days-of-dogtown","title":"Anita Diamant: The Last Days of Dogtown [2006] paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe tiny rural backwater of Dogtown nestled on Cape Ann and hugging the Massachusetts coast line, is a place that is reputedly dying, but its few remaining inhabitants show an enduring spirit that keeps a small flame of life alight. For here, in this forgotten hamlet, lives a cast of dignified, yet utterly eccentric characters. Black Ruth is one of only two Africans still living in the area; she dresses as a man, speaks to no-one, and continues her craft as the local stonemason, casting love and care over the stones she hews. Mrs Stanley is blousey, blonde and the local madam; a woman of total self-absorption, who cares nothing for her young grandson, coming of age amid the sights and sounds of a wretched rural brothel. Oliver Younger, a man with ambition, overcomes a cruel and miserable childhood to marry the woman of his dreams and create a family infused with love. At the centre of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent woman, generous and wise, but also heartbroken and lonely, whose taboo love for Cornelius, a former slave, burns at the core of her soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Loosely based on the true story of a community, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Days of Dogtown\u003c\/i\u003e is a rich, compassionate and compelling novel which illuminates a small, but vivid, chapter of nineteenth century America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamant, Anita","offers":[{"title":"Very Good","offer_id":48128246907219,"sku":"XV80330491679","price":5.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/diamant-anita-the-last-days-of-dogtown-xv80330491679-55860488733011.jpg?v=1726563010","url":"https:\/\/theirishbookshop.live\/products\/the-last-days-of-dogtown","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}