{"title":"Jo Ann Beard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJo Ann Beard\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts deeply introspective narratives that explore the subtle complexities of everyday life. Her work, including \u003cem\u003eCheri\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFestival Days\u003c\/em\u003e, invites readers into poignant moments where personal history and broader cultural reflections intertwine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRooted in both \u003cem\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e, Beard’s writing offers a rich blend of emotional depth and insightful observation. Her collected works present a thoughtful meditation on identity, memory, and the small yet profound experiences that shape us.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"cheri-by-jo-ann-beard-9781800817852","title":"Cheri","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCheri\u003c\/em\u003e has been living with cancer for many years. Now, she is dying. As she navigates the final weeks of her life and takes charge of the manner of her death, she is flooded with childhood memories and returns to the present with a renewed appreciation for the brilliance of life around her: the autumn has never been so beautiful, her daughters never as radiant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrave, incredibly strong and deeply loved, Cheri makes one last nerve-wracking journey across the country with her girls and her friends, knowing relief waits, welcoming as a frozen lake on the other side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA masterpiece of fiction and memory, \u003cem\u003eCheri\u003c\/em\u003e is a heart-breaking but glorious celebration of all the moments of beauty and pain that make an individual life, right up until its very last moments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46545650450668,"sku":"9781800817852","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4278613482829.jpg?v=1749815138"},{"product_id":"the-collected-works-of-jo-ann-beard-by-jo-ann-beard-9781800817883","title":"The Collected Works of Jo Ann Beard","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeaving a complex tapestry drawn from interviews, anecdotes, moments from Beard's own life, and sheer imagination, these extraordinary pieces embody the hospitality of spectacular writing: they are spaces you fall into and are reluctant to leave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the intimate drama of everyday life—school crushes, dog clinics, divorce—to the terror and excitement of a fox lurking by a campsite or a murderer in your home, Beard flawlessly distils what it means to live deeply as we hurtle through wonder and grief, love and heartbreak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBringing together pieces from Beard's first collection, \u003cem\u003eThe Boys of My Youth\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eFestival Days\u003c\/em\u003e, which was published two decades later, \u003cem\u003eThe Collected Works of Jo Ann Beard\u003c\/em\u003e showcases Jo Ann Beard's impressive breadth, quiet brilliance, and timeless prose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47432843034860,"sku":"9781800817883","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781800817883.jpg?v=1774766306"},{"product_id":"festival-days-by-jo-ann-beard-9780316497220","title":"Festival Days","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Notable Book\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e Editors' Choice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLitHub\u003c\/em\u003e Best Book of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen \"The Fourth State of Matter,\" her now famous piece about a workplace massacre at the University of Iowa was published in \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e, Jo Ann Beard immediately became one of the most influential writers in America. She forged a path for a new generation of young authors willing to combine the dexterity of fiction with the rigours of memory and reportage, extending the range of possibility for the essay form in the process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNow, with \u003cem\u003eFestival Days,\u003c\/em\u003e Beard brings us the culmination of her groundbreaking work. In these nine pieces, she captures both the small, luminous moments of daily existence and those instants when life and death hang in the balance. The content ranges from the death of a beloved dog to a relentlessly readable account of a New York artist trapped inside a burning building, as well as two triumphant, celebrated pieces of short fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere is an unforgettable collection destined to be embraced and debated by readers and writers, teachers and students. Anchored by the title piece—a searing journey through India that brings into focus questions of mortality and love—\u003cem\u003eFestival Days\u003c\/em\u003e presents Beard at the height of her powers, using her flawless prose to reveal all that is tender and timeless beneath the way we live now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47596394578156,"sku":"9780316497220","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780316497220-festival-days.jpg?v=1777923742"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/jo-ann-beard.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}