{"product_id":"last-days-of-dogtown-book-anita-diamant-9781405049672","title":"The Last Days of Dogtown","description":"The 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.   Loosely based on the true story of a community, The Last Days of Dogtown is a rich, compassionate and compelling novel which illuminates a small, but vivid, chapter of nineteenth century America.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49593185403153,"sku":"GOR000869450","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50720609566993,"sku":"GOR007930443","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1405049677.jpg?v=1751425498","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/last-days-of-dogtown-book-anita-diamant-9781405049672","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}